The battle for the top Congress slot in the state has got intense with the feud coming out in the open.
With incumbent Subhash Shirodkar and his predecessor Francisco Sardinha locking horns, Delhi is reportedly keen on adopting its time-tested formula in such situations - annointing a third person.
And so, BK Hariprasad and Co are on the hunt for a suitable 'dark horse' but can't find any. The trouble is, the Congress in Goa has too many 'independent' thinking politicos and the few that the one or two that the party can count on aren't unwilling to give up their ministerial posts to become PCC chief. And, the wait for a new party chief in Goa will get longer and definitely beyond the bye-poll in Valpoi.
Churchill’s Chaturthi fury
Interesting! PWD Minister Churchill-bab has suddenly discovered the virtue in punctuality.
Last week, he went gung-ho over empty chairs and desks at the Rural Development Agency's office in Margao, and ordered the sacking of a lowly peon and a couple of clerks who were allegedly absent, unauthorisedly. What the Varca strongman did not consider was that it was the Ganesh Chaturthi fortnight, when absentism is more a rule rather than the exception.
He also unusually vent his anger at his otherwise favourite babu Melvin Vaz and spoke to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on phone, there and then, seeking his immediate removal as project director for RDA (South).
What's it that has upset Churchill-bab so much about the RDA in the South?
For the record, the Varca strongman claims it's the lethargy of the staff there. The RDA in the North has made huge strides while it's lagging far behind in the South, he claims.
But anonymous 'whispers' heard from the other side of GT's fence suggest a different tale. It's the indifference they show to a favourite ex-MLA, who's been throwing all the weight of her stocky physique around them, that's earned them the wrath of the boss.
On the flip side, Churchill-bab's new found enthusiasm to be a 'stern administrator', whatever the provocation, bodes well for Goa, provided it is extended to all the offices he heads as minister. But will he extend it to the offices of his plum portfolio - PWD - where engineers bunk work more often than they wink, to do work for firms they register in the names of spouses and kin? Or is it another gimmick to fool the gullible voter that will leave the RDA peon and clerks mere scapegoats?
Back to square one…
After all the brouhaha over the casinos choking the Mandovi, the government seems to have bowed to the wishes of the roullette spinners. They won't go to the Aguada bay after all. Instead they will now occupy a longer stretch of the narrow river, exciting the anti-Casino lobby.
It's back to square one again!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
All talk and no walk
The frenzied pace at which press conferences were being called and the high-pitch slandering that was going on between the local units of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the youth wing of its big brother Congress, led one to believe that the battle was poised for a grand finish.
But now, it seems like there won't be a finale and the victims of last year's Canacona floods won't get to see the colour of the money collected in their name by the rogues we have for politicians - both young and old.
For the last fortnight almost, a high-pitched tu-tu-mein-mein was witnessed between second rung leaders of the NCP and the Goa Pradesh Youth Congress over what the former alleged was a 'scam' perpetrated by the latter in raising money for the Canacona flood victims and siphoning off the proceeds.
The spokesman, deputy chief spokesman and chief spokesman of the NCP swore that they would file a complaint against GPYC chief Sankalp Amonkar. The party's executive committee even passed a resolution, saying it would file the police complaint. But now it turns out there will be no such complaint filed.
If a complaint has to be filed, then for heaven's sake, file it. Don't just talk about it.
When Manohar Parrikar docked Mauvin Godinho in the power subsidy scam, he didn't merely talk, he walked. The political arena could well do with more such walkers, at least among the fresher faces, rather than profession-less, jobless talkers who have in recent years clogged the space in Goa's political parties.
False alarm
Perhaps for the first time, the Goa Football Association meeting saw near 100 per-cent attendance and there's a story behind how it happened.
Apparently, with elections for control of the football governing body raising the bar following the high-profile entry into the fray of industrialist and boss of Goa's top football club, Srinivas Dempo, some minion thought of playing a prank, and it worked.
All the top guns rushed to the GFA executive committee meet, which incidentally was one of the most insignificant ones with almost nothing of note on the agenda. The reason? Fear of being disqualified from the polls slated for Ocotber!
Sources told us that a day before the GFA executive meeting, one member from the Bardez Zone called Jaju Fernandes, known to be a close aide in football matters of current GFA boss Joaquim Alemao, warning that he would file a complaint to disqualify those who abstained from three consecutive meetings from contesting the October election.
The call sent alarm bells ringing and the following day the GFA achieved a record feat: near 100 % attendance at its executive meet, Dempo and all!
‘Fear Factor’ blackout
The film shooting team of TV reality show 'Fear Factor' kept everyone in a remote ward of a Salcete village in the dark, literally.
Last Thursday, residents of Loutolim's Vanxem ward found their locality plunged in pitch darkness, an unusual scenario what with them represented by Aleixo Sequeira, the man who heads the power department. When some of these residents approached the local electricity department office, the linesman on duty told them that the lights weren't switched on because of a shoot scheduled in a house for the famed TV show - 'Fear Factor'. But Assistant Engineer Sontosh Lolayankar denied having given any such instruction when the locals contacted him on his mobile phone.
Local panchayat member Sergio Fernandes, flooded as he was by complaints from the residents of the ward, was livid over the episode. It was also gathered that no licence/permission had been obtained from the authorities to conduct the shoot.
The Loutolim panchayat authorities too were in the dark and the panchayat secretary revealed that no permission has been issued to the film unit. Officials at the ESG, the nodal agency authorised to permit film shootings in the state, claimed that they too were in the dark. A 'fear factor' indeed!
But now, it seems like there won't be a finale and the victims of last year's Canacona floods won't get to see the colour of the money collected in their name by the rogues we have for politicians - both young and old.
For the last fortnight almost, a high-pitched tu-tu-mein-mein was witnessed between second rung leaders of the NCP and the Goa Pradesh Youth Congress over what the former alleged was a 'scam' perpetrated by the latter in raising money for the Canacona flood victims and siphoning off the proceeds.
The spokesman, deputy chief spokesman and chief spokesman of the NCP swore that they would file a complaint against GPYC chief Sankalp Amonkar. The party's executive committee even passed a resolution, saying it would file the police complaint. But now it turns out there will be no such complaint filed.
If a complaint has to be filed, then for heaven's sake, file it. Don't just talk about it.
When Manohar Parrikar docked Mauvin Godinho in the power subsidy scam, he didn't merely talk, he walked. The political arena could well do with more such walkers, at least among the fresher faces, rather than profession-less, jobless talkers who have in recent years clogged the space in Goa's political parties.
False alarm
Perhaps for the first time, the Goa Football Association meeting saw near 100 per-cent attendance and there's a story behind how it happened.
Apparently, with elections for control of the football governing body raising the bar following the high-profile entry into the fray of industrialist and boss of Goa's top football club, Srinivas Dempo, some minion thought of playing a prank, and it worked.
All the top guns rushed to the GFA executive committee meet, which incidentally was one of the most insignificant ones with almost nothing of note on the agenda. The reason? Fear of being disqualified from the polls slated for Ocotber!
Sources told us that a day before the GFA executive meeting, one member from the Bardez Zone called Jaju Fernandes, known to be a close aide in football matters of current GFA boss Joaquim Alemao, warning that he would file a complaint to disqualify those who abstained from three consecutive meetings from contesting the October election.
The call sent alarm bells ringing and the following day the GFA achieved a record feat: near 100 % attendance at its executive meet, Dempo and all!
‘Fear Factor’ blackout
The film shooting team of TV reality show 'Fear Factor' kept everyone in a remote ward of a Salcete village in the dark, literally.
Last Thursday, residents of Loutolim's Vanxem ward found their locality plunged in pitch darkness, an unusual scenario what with them represented by Aleixo Sequeira, the man who heads the power department. When some of these residents approached the local electricity department office, the linesman on duty told them that the lights weren't switched on because of a shoot scheduled in a house for the famed TV show - 'Fear Factor'. But Assistant Engineer Sontosh Lolayankar denied having given any such instruction when the locals contacted him on his mobile phone.
Local panchayat member Sergio Fernandes, flooded as he was by complaints from the residents of the ward, was livid over the episode. It was also gathered that no licence/permission had been obtained from the authorities to conduct the shoot.
The Loutolim panchayat authorities too were in the dark and the panchayat secretary revealed that no permission has been issued to the film unit. Officials at the ESG, the nodal agency authorised to permit film shootings in the state, claimed that they too were in the dark. A 'fear factor' indeed!
Subhash or Sardinha?: Madam to call
The Congress, at least in Goa, they say needs no Opposition. It has one within, always.
Battle lines were being drawn within the ruling party as the coveted GPCC chief's post came up for grabs. Until a week ago, the elections to the collegium seemed well-managed for a status-quo. For, there's no anti-corruption unit in Madam's AICC, so spot-fix, right-fix, left-fix or centre-fix: you can fix it the way you want.
It seemed therefore that the incumbent Subhash Shirodkar was seated pretty. Not anymore though, what with an out-of-the-blue coup staged by South Goa MP, Francisco Sardinha, who made a strong pitch for the party chief's post himself.
Sardinha, together with another South Goa stalwart who like him was pushed to the sidelines by Election 2007 - Luizinho Faleiro - apparently did their homework well to undo all the match-fixing the 'establishment' within the party had managed with Senadi and Co, simply winking.
The unlikely Sardinha-Luizinho duo reportedly had a tete-a-tete at the latter's Borda bungalow with more than half the newly-elected block presidents and PCC members and were ready to take a go at Shirodkar who was reportedly backed by Digubab, if an election was to be held.
But fearing that the bitter battle would damage the party image and worsen the bad blood in the ranks, BK Hariprasad stepped in and ordered the one-liner be passed to authorise 'Madam' to name the next PCC president. The GPCC obliged on Sunday, instantly triggering another round of hectic lobbying in Delhi, which Hariprasad, Ahmad Patel and Co are all too happy to deal with.
Sardinha, it now emerges, is the strongest contender on the back of the argument that the post should be filled up with a minority community leader as the CM belongs to the majority.
The GPCC president's post gains significance as whoever holds it will be leading the party at the next hustings alongwith the CM. Also, he/she automatically is among the front-runners for the CM's chair, post-poll.
The last time this happened in 2007 - Pratapsing Rane as CM and Ravi Naik as GPCC chief - we saw a bitter post-poll tussle between the two for the top prize: CM's post. In the bargain, the never-thought-I'd-become-CM Diggubab, ran away with the trophy.
Dempo in GFA race
The Football Association election has triggered another hot race in Goa. Throwing his hat in the ring is Srinivas Dempo, the young chairman of football powerhouse Dempo group. His very stature, for sure, makes him the hot favourite but the incumbent GFA secretary, Savio Messias and Clube Sporting de Goa boss, Peter Vaz, too are in the fray and seem determined to ensure an election.
The next couple of weeks will see hectic lobbying in Goa's football circles, but chances are there will be no balloting. In fact, a number of stalwarts are said to be already at work, trying to convince Messias and Vaz to withdraw from the fray.
Meanwhile, the man to be watched is suave but highly manipulative AIFF Secretary Alberto Colaco. The towering soccer administrator from Salcete who's ruled the roost at the AIFF headquarters for nearly a decade it seems has had enough of Delhi and is keen to make a comeback to GFA.
Loud whispers can be heard indicating that the secretary's post which henceforth will be a paid job at the GFA will be reserved by the football establishment for him. According to the new (FIFA-like) constitution adopted by the GFA, the secretary will virtually function as the body's CEO, a perfectly suited position for Colaco who has presided over the country's professional (sic) football league since its inception in the mid-1990s.
What if...?
Finally, the government has been ordered by the Bombay High Court to remove the River Princess before the next monsoon! But will it?
A million dollar question this.
As of now, the government is considering the proposal of the vessel's original charterer Salgaocar Mining Industries, to remove it at no cost. From what we know, the company has no salvage experience to tow it away. It doesn't even have any experience of cutting ships. So, what if the ship is just broken there to corner the resultant bits of scrap and perpetuating a greater disaster than what already is at Sinquerim?
In the early years that the ship was grounded in 2000, 2001, 2002..., this is what the company had proposed to the government - shipbreaking!
Battle lines were being drawn within the ruling party as the coveted GPCC chief's post came up for grabs. Until a week ago, the elections to the collegium seemed well-managed for a status-quo. For, there's no anti-corruption unit in Madam's AICC, so spot-fix, right-fix, left-fix or centre-fix: you can fix it the way you want.
It seemed therefore that the incumbent Subhash Shirodkar was seated pretty. Not anymore though, what with an out-of-the-blue coup staged by South Goa MP, Francisco Sardinha, who made a strong pitch for the party chief's post himself.
Sardinha, together with another South Goa stalwart who like him was pushed to the sidelines by Election 2007 - Luizinho Faleiro - apparently did their homework well to undo all the match-fixing the 'establishment' within the party had managed with Senadi and Co, simply winking.
The unlikely Sardinha-Luizinho duo reportedly had a tete-a-tete at the latter's Borda bungalow with more than half the newly-elected block presidents and PCC members and were ready to take a go at Shirodkar who was reportedly backed by Digubab, if an election was to be held.
But fearing that the bitter battle would damage the party image and worsen the bad blood in the ranks, BK Hariprasad stepped in and ordered the one-liner be passed to authorise 'Madam' to name the next PCC president. The GPCC obliged on Sunday, instantly triggering another round of hectic lobbying in Delhi, which Hariprasad, Ahmad Patel and Co are all too happy to deal with.
Sardinha, it now emerges, is the strongest contender on the back of the argument that the post should be filled up with a minority community leader as the CM belongs to the majority.
The GPCC president's post gains significance as whoever holds it will be leading the party at the next hustings alongwith the CM. Also, he/she automatically is among the front-runners for the CM's chair, post-poll.
The last time this happened in 2007 - Pratapsing Rane as CM and Ravi Naik as GPCC chief - we saw a bitter post-poll tussle between the two for the top prize: CM's post. In the bargain, the never-thought-I'd-become-CM Diggubab, ran away with the trophy.
Dempo in GFA race
The Football Association election has triggered another hot race in Goa. Throwing his hat in the ring is Srinivas Dempo, the young chairman of football powerhouse Dempo group. His very stature, for sure, makes him the hot favourite but the incumbent GFA secretary, Savio Messias and Clube Sporting de Goa boss, Peter Vaz, too are in the fray and seem determined to ensure an election.
The next couple of weeks will see hectic lobbying in Goa's football circles, but chances are there will be no balloting. In fact, a number of stalwarts are said to be already at work, trying to convince Messias and Vaz to withdraw from the fray.
Meanwhile, the man to be watched is suave but highly manipulative AIFF Secretary Alberto Colaco. The towering soccer administrator from Salcete who's ruled the roost at the AIFF headquarters for nearly a decade it seems has had enough of Delhi and is keen to make a comeback to GFA.
Loud whispers can be heard indicating that the secretary's post which henceforth will be a paid job at the GFA will be reserved by the football establishment for him. According to the new (FIFA-like) constitution adopted by the GFA, the secretary will virtually function as the body's CEO, a perfectly suited position for Colaco who has presided over the country's professional (sic) football league since its inception in the mid-1990s.
What if...?
Finally, the government has been ordered by the Bombay High Court to remove the River Princess before the next monsoon! But will it?
A million dollar question this.
As of now, the government is considering the proposal of the vessel's original charterer Salgaocar Mining Industries, to remove it at no cost. From what we know, the company has no salvage experience to tow it away. It doesn't even have any experience of cutting ships. So, what if the ship is just broken there to corner the resultant bits of scrap and perpetuating a greater disaster than what already is at Sinquerim?
In the early years that the ship was grounded in 2000, 2001, 2002..., this is what the company had proposed to the government - shipbreaking!
Decade of the Princess!
It could easily go down as the world's longest drama - a whole decade long. And, in the end, it's the villian who seems to be winning!
Laughing all the way to the bank will be Sanvordem MLA, Anil Salgaocar, whose Salgaocar Mining Industries owned the River Princess when it was grounded way back in 2000, and god knows who else. But the fishermen, the shack operators and dozens of other tourist tradesmen will continue to mourn the demise of Sinquerim-Candolim beach, thanks to a lame-duck set of politicians and bureaucrats Goa has had in this decade.
The state government is actually resigning to its fate where it is now giving the original villian responsible by his company's criminal negligence for the River Princess disaster, the 'first option' to remove it!
Why? Because it's all about money, honey.
It's not that the River Princess is the only vessel to be grounded here in recent history and the state is inexperienced to handle such situations. Another such vessel grounding disaster had occurred in 1994, when the MV Sea Transporter was in similar conditions grounded with tonnes of oil in it just 1.5 nautical miles south of where the Princess is happily embedded on the bottom of the Arabian sea.
In one-week flat, the tonnes of oil were pumped out from MV Sea Transporter, its oil tanks flushed and treated to ensure that even residual black matter is removed, and the ship itself removed from the scene in another four weeks after the monsoon.
So, why didn't the same happen in the case of the River Princess?? Simply because the owners of MV Sea Transporter had insured the vessel and had all its paper work in place, a responsibility which the owners of River Princess criminally neglected. No insurance means no money to foot the bill for salvaging/removing the vessel. That's why, River Princess continues to rampage the beach and Sinquerim-Candolim, even 10 years after it was grounded.
And what does the government of the day do? Nothing, when otherwise its 'goons-in-uniform' go around the streets exhtorting lakhs of rupees from the Aam Admi in fines, both under and above the table, for not possessing valid insurance papers of their two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The mining baron and now politician is not only having the cake, he is soon likely to eat it too!
CWG, Diggu and Goa’s press corps
Magnanimous Diggu! Just 24 hours after his beloved journos from Margao slapped him on his face, literally, the Chief Minister presided over a meeting of his cabinet which among other decisions approved a bonus for my tribe - doubling the Rs 2,000 per-month pension for retiring journalists to Rs 4,000 per-month.
Just the previous day on Sunday, a band of reporters, part-time correspondents and mofussil correspondents acted macho and 'boycotted' (sic) a press conference which the Chief Minister was to address along with Sports Director, Dr Suzanne D'Souza. From what I gather, the reason for the boycott was an unannounced change of venue and a reported two-hour delay for the arrival of CM.
Is it reason enough to keep the readers deprived of the information on the arrival of the Commonwealth Games baton relay in Goa which the CM was to elaborate about at the press conference?
In my eighteen years of journalism, I do not remember a single instance of such high-handedness by the press corps. Yes, there was boycott of ministers and CMs but only in a brief fortnight when we journos launched an agitation to protest the contents of the Right to Information Act. CM after CM that Goa has had in the last two decades have not been known to be punctual. Pratapsing Rane, Dr Wilfred de Souza, Ravi Naik, Manohar Parrikar, Luizinho Faleiro, Francisco Sardinha, have all been CMs and none has punctuality as their forte. Yet, not once do I remember a scheduled press conference was boycotted for delay.
Seems like there are too many carrots dangling before journos these days, leading to addiction.
Laughing all the way to the bank will be Sanvordem MLA, Anil Salgaocar, whose Salgaocar Mining Industries owned the River Princess when it was grounded way back in 2000, and god knows who else. But the fishermen, the shack operators and dozens of other tourist tradesmen will continue to mourn the demise of Sinquerim-Candolim beach, thanks to a lame-duck set of politicians and bureaucrats Goa has had in this decade.
The state government is actually resigning to its fate where it is now giving the original villian responsible by his company's criminal negligence for the River Princess disaster, the 'first option' to remove it!
Why? Because it's all about money, honey.
It's not that the River Princess is the only vessel to be grounded here in recent history and the state is inexperienced to handle such situations. Another such vessel grounding disaster had occurred in 1994, when the MV Sea Transporter was in similar conditions grounded with tonnes of oil in it just 1.5 nautical miles south of where the Princess is happily embedded on the bottom of the Arabian sea.
In one-week flat, the tonnes of oil were pumped out from MV Sea Transporter, its oil tanks flushed and treated to ensure that even residual black matter is removed, and the ship itself removed from the scene in another four weeks after the monsoon.
So, why didn't the same happen in the case of the River Princess?? Simply because the owners of MV Sea Transporter had insured the vessel and had all its paper work in place, a responsibility which the owners of River Princess criminally neglected. No insurance means no money to foot the bill for salvaging/removing the vessel. That's why, River Princess continues to rampage the beach and Sinquerim-Candolim, even 10 years after it was grounded.
And what does the government of the day do? Nothing, when otherwise its 'goons-in-uniform' go around the streets exhtorting lakhs of rupees from the Aam Admi in fines, both under and above the table, for not possessing valid insurance papers of their two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The mining baron and now politician is not only having the cake, he is soon likely to eat it too!
CWG, Diggu and Goa’s press corps
Magnanimous Diggu! Just 24 hours after his beloved journos from Margao slapped him on his face, literally, the Chief Minister presided over a meeting of his cabinet which among other decisions approved a bonus for my tribe - doubling the Rs 2,000 per-month pension for retiring journalists to Rs 4,000 per-month.
Just the previous day on Sunday, a band of reporters, part-time correspondents and mofussil correspondents acted macho and 'boycotted' (sic) a press conference which the Chief Minister was to address along with Sports Director, Dr Suzanne D'Souza. From what I gather, the reason for the boycott was an unannounced change of venue and a reported two-hour delay for the arrival of CM.
Is it reason enough to keep the readers deprived of the information on the arrival of the Commonwealth Games baton relay in Goa which the CM was to elaborate about at the press conference?
In my eighteen years of journalism, I do not remember a single instance of such high-handedness by the press corps. Yes, there was boycott of ministers and CMs but only in a brief fortnight when we journos launched an agitation to protest the contents of the Right to Information Act. CM after CM that Goa has had in the last two decades have not been known to be punctual. Pratapsing Rane, Dr Wilfred de Souza, Ravi Naik, Manohar Parrikar, Luizinho Faleiro, Francisco Sardinha, have all been CMs and none has punctuality as their forte. Yet, not once do I remember a scheduled press conference was boycotted for delay.
Seems like there are too many carrots dangling before journos these days, leading to addiction.
Media’s fetish for Salcete politics
Suddenly, the media is covering blow by blow the happenings in VIP shamianas at football tournament finals held in Salcete on weekends.
If last week, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha and Luizinho Faleiro made the news for sharing the dais at the finals of the Assis Noronha memorial tournament at Fatorda, this week it was Sardinha, Viola, the pretty live-in partner of Mickky at Betalbatim, with the BJP's Damu Naik, a common 'item number' at both venues.
Realignment of forces as sought to be projected by the media, or merely an ant-hill out of a mole?
In the melee, however, a very significant 'coming together' of two unlikely politicos at a venue in Salcete skipped the attention of the media.
Home Minister Ravi Naik shared the dais with Churchill Alemao at a function to inaugurate a co-operative at Carmona, on the latter's home turf. A heady combo this Ravi-Churchill duo, which if it happens in Goa's real-politik could give the stalwarts including the man wearing the crown at the moment, Margao's Digambar Kamat, some sleepless nights.
Churchill on stage!
Former South Goa stalwart Eduardo Faleiro celebrated his 70 birthday last weekend at his spruced up ancestral home in Raia. In attendance were a host of dignitaries, friends and family of the neo-septugenarian, besides editors and other prominent members of the media tribe.
But the man who stole the show was the heavyweight from Varca, who once humbled the birthday boy and virtually ended his stranglehold over the South Goa Lok Sabha seat. Yes, Churchill Alemao took centre-stage at the party and surprised the guests by belting out a few songs which he claimed were his own compositions.
'Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night' went the lyrics of one number which Churchill sang in his hoarse voice, leaving the guests and the host in shock and awe!
Even Siddhanath Buyao, the heir to the legendary Goem Shair, the late Ulhas Buyao, was left stunned with Churchill's crooning.
Luizinho for a comeback?
Another Faleiro celebrated his birthday last week - Luizinho. If what he spoke on his birthday has any meaning, the former CM isn't giving up on representing Navelim again, it seems.
Apparently, the former six-time MLA of Navelim had some time ago given the go ahead to the brother of one of his long-time lieutenants to launch his campaign for the seat. Having got the green signal from his mentor, the young man seemed to be in a hurry.
But suddenly, somewhere in Delhi where he spends most of his time since his loss to Churchill in 2007, Luizinho has smelt an opportunity to make a comeback and has reversed his diktat to his lieutenant's brother.
Incidentally, the disappointed young man had done a stint in the goal with Churchill Alemao's football team in the mid-1990s.
Mickky snubbed
Finding no solace among current friends and allies, the beleagured Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco, approached one of his former Salcete ally, who claims to have the ear of the Congress boss in Delhi, Madam Sonia Gandhi. Threading the narrow path to the bungalow on Margao's hill with his hummer, Mickky pleaded with this Salcetian who has quite a few 'formers' to his name and a rather long current title, to bail him out from his political predicament of being a mere 'MLA'.
Sadly for Mickky, he was snubbed. 'I don't want to have any relations with you - political or otherwise. The last time I did, you ditched me and played footsie with my enemy camp. Now go and fight your own battles,' was the response he got.
(Feedback@tuesdaytickles.blogspot.com)
If last week, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha and Luizinho Faleiro made the news for sharing the dais at the finals of the Assis Noronha memorial tournament at Fatorda, this week it was Sardinha, Viola, the pretty live-in partner of Mickky at Betalbatim, with the BJP's Damu Naik, a common 'item number' at both venues.
Realignment of forces as sought to be projected by the media, or merely an ant-hill out of a mole?
In the melee, however, a very significant 'coming together' of two unlikely politicos at a venue in Salcete skipped the attention of the media.
Home Minister Ravi Naik shared the dais with Churchill Alemao at a function to inaugurate a co-operative at Carmona, on the latter's home turf. A heady combo this Ravi-Churchill duo, which if it happens in Goa's real-politik could give the stalwarts including the man wearing the crown at the moment, Margao's Digambar Kamat, some sleepless nights.
Churchill on stage!
Former South Goa stalwart Eduardo Faleiro celebrated his 70 birthday last weekend at his spruced up ancestral home in Raia. In attendance were a host of dignitaries, friends and family of the neo-septugenarian, besides editors and other prominent members of the media tribe.
But the man who stole the show was the heavyweight from Varca, who once humbled the birthday boy and virtually ended his stranglehold over the South Goa Lok Sabha seat. Yes, Churchill Alemao took centre-stage at the party and surprised the guests by belting out a few songs which he claimed were his own compositions.
'Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night' went the lyrics of one number which Churchill sang in his hoarse voice, leaving the guests and the host in shock and awe!
Even Siddhanath Buyao, the heir to the legendary Goem Shair, the late Ulhas Buyao, was left stunned with Churchill's crooning.
Luizinho for a comeback?
Another Faleiro celebrated his birthday last week - Luizinho. If what he spoke on his birthday has any meaning, the former CM isn't giving up on representing Navelim again, it seems.
Apparently, the former six-time MLA of Navelim had some time ago given the go ahead to the brother of one of his long-time lieutenants to launch his campaign for the seat. Having got the green signal from his mentor, the young man seemed to be in a hurry.
But suddenly, somewhere in Delhi where he spends most of his time since his loss to Churchill in 2007, Luizinho has smelt an opportunity to make a comeback and has reversed his diktat to his lieutenant's brother.
Incidentally, the disappointed young man had done a stint in the goal with Churchill Alemao's football team in the mid-1990s.
Mickky snubbed
Finding no solace among current friends and allies, the beleagured Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco, approached one of his former Salcete ally, who claims to have the ear of the Congress boss in Delhi, Madam Sonia Gandhi. Threading the narrow path to the bungalow on Margao's hill with his hummer, Mickky pleaded with this Salcetian who has quite a few 'formers' to his name and a rather long current title, to bail him out from his political predicament of being a mere 'MLA'.
Sadly for Mickky, he was snubbed. 'I don't want to have any relations with you - political or otherwise. The last time I did, you ditched me and played footsie with my enemy camp. Now go and fight your own battles,' was the response he got.
(Feedback@tuesdaytickles.blogspot.com)
Ravi in attack mode
Home Minister Ravi Naik, battered and bruised by the attack on him from all sides -- opposition and his foes from within -- seems to have had enough on the drug peddlar-police-politician nexus case. And, the old warhorse from Ponda, has fallen back on that tried and tested battle tactic - 'attack is the best defence' - to take on his tormentors, obliquely accusing them (coastal MLAs) of raising the ruckus against him because their 'haftas' from Goa's narco economy have halted. Strangely, not one of the 'we want a CBI probe' critics have refuted or retorted Ravi's charge, although there are at least half-a-dozen 'coastal MLAs' on whom his 'hafta' cap fits.
So, isn't there a single one who'd show us he's got the onions to take up the gauntlet and challenge Ravi's allegations? None as of now, and Ravi it seems, will be let off with this poor excuse for a defence.
Meanwhile, on Independence Day eve, Ravi also defended his son Roy, the pawn (or should we say 'prawn'?) in this high-pitch political drama that's being played out by the 40 thieves since February. It's because he (Roy) intends to contest the next Assembly election from the Mayem constituency that politicos are maligning him, papa Ravi claimed.
Beats me how contesting a future election, or politics, can absolve you of all malfeasance or allegations of it.
Remember the long Mickky run? All his troubles too were the off-shoots of politics, or so he and his defence team said. So what, if a woman in her prime has lost her life. Women die everyday, don't they?
What's of prime importance is that the show of the 40 thieves' must go on. What about law and justice? Let it be damned. After all, politics is what makes Goa tick. And, if not for our politicos, Nostradamas' doomsday may have already wrecked us all!
Great and bad show
Goa tourism tagged on to the concert and claimed that it was a 'change of stance' to attract music-loving visitors to Goa. But although the nightingale did indeed regale, not everyone who paid and went to the show came back home a happy soul.
First, the Rs 99 entry ticket didn't get you back the 'Re one' if you shelled out the green note. Ditto for the higher-priced Rs 199 and Rs 299 tickets.
Second, the organisers claimed that the Rs 99 ticket-holders would have to stand through the show and the seats would be only for the Rs 199 and higher denomination ticket-holders. But at the show, not just the 99 but the 199 and some 299 ticket-holders too were on their feet and in the midst of utter chaos.
A sign of things to come this upcoming tourist season?
For the record though, Lorna, says a colleague who was at the show, was at her best!
Rane Jr’s dilemma
He has to face an election and win it before Christmas, if he has to continue to be a minister. And so, Vishwajeet Rane is moving on the double in Valpoi, hand-holding Ganesh mandals, addressing workers and the public, every other day.
But the scion of Sattari is in a dilemma, selling to the people what he has done ever since he burst on to the scene as a first time MLA and minister, although he was de-facto his own 'Papa', during the latter's many stints in the hot seat. The other day, at a meeting he addressed which unfortunately was infiltrated by some from the opposite camp, the Sattari scion waxed eloquent on how Sattari was 'neglected' all these years, and if it has seen any development, it's only in the last three years when he became MLA and minister.
'So, didn't his dad do anything for Sattari in his more than 30 years, many of them as CM?' was the question shot back at the dimunitive leader.
Now, the health minister talks less of what has been done and more about what he will do!
Mamlatdar via an auction
It's another matter that the 'mamlatdar' posts filled in recent years were auctioned but a man from Borim recently discovered how easy it is to be a 'Mamlatdar', albeit a perceived one, by simply winning an auction!
He recently won an auction for the 'as is where is' basis sale of a government vehicle. The jeep was his, so he began driving around town with it, little realising that the 'Bicholim mamlatdar' embossed on it wasn't removed!
(Feedback@tuesdaytickles.blogspot.com)
So, isn't there a single one who'd show us he's got the onions to take up the gauntlet and challenge Ravi's allegations? None as of now, and Ravi it seems, will be let off with this poor excuse for a defence.
Meanwhile, on Independence Day eve, Ravi also defended his son Roy, the pawn (or should we say 'prawn'?) in this high-pitch political drama that's being played out by the 40 thieves since February. It's because he (Roy) intends to contest the next Assembly election from the Mayem constituency that politicos are maligning him, papa Ravi claimed.
Beats me how contesting a future election, or politics, can absolve you of all malfeasance or allegations of it.
Remember the long Mickky run? All his troubles too were the off-shoots of politics, or so he and his defence team said. So what, if a woman in her prime has lost her life. Women die everyday, don't they?
What's of prime importance is that the show of the 40 thieves' must go on. What about law and justice? Let it be damned. After all, politics is what makes Goa tick. And, if not for our politicos, Nostradamas' doomsday may have already wrecked us all!
Great and bad show
Goa tourism tagged on to the concert and claimed that it was a 'change of stance' to attract music-loving visitors to Goa. But although the nightingale did indeed regale, not everyone who paid and went to the show came back home a happy soul.
First, the Rs 99 entry ticket didn't get you back the 'Re one' if you shelled out the green note. Ditto for the higher-priced Rs 199 and Rs 299 tickets.
Second, the organisers claimed that the Rs 99 ticket-holders would have to stand through the show and the seats would be only for the Rs 199 and higher denomination ticket-holders. But at the show, not just the 99 but the 199 and some 299 ticket-holders too were on their feet and in the midst of utter chaos.
A sign of things to come this upcoming tourist season?
For the record though, Lorna, says a colleague who was at the show, was at her best!
Rane Jr’s dilemma
He has to face an election and win it before Christmas, if he has to continue to be a minister. And so, Vishwajeet Rane is moving on the double in Valpoi, hand-holding Ganesh mandals, addressing workers and the public, every other day.
But the scion of Sattari is in a dilemma, selling to the people what he has done ever since he burst on to the scene as a first time MLA and minister, although he was de-facto his own 'Papa', during the latter's many stints in the hot seat. The other day, at a meeting he addressed which unfortunately was infiltrated by some from the opposite camp, the Sattari scion waxed eloquent on how Sattari was 'neglected' all these years, and if it has seen any development, it's only in the last three years when he became MLA and minister.
'So, didn't his dad do anything for Sattari in his more than 30 years, many of them as CM?' was the question shot back at the dimunitive leader.
Now, the health minister talks less of what has been done and more about what he will do!
Mamlatdar via an auction
It's another matter that the 'mamlatdar' posts filled in recent years were auctioned but a man from Borim recently discovered how easy it is to be a 'Mamlatdar', albeit a perceived one, by simply winning an auction!
He recently won an auction for the 'as is where is' basis sale of a government vehicle. The jeep was his, so he began driving around town with it, little realising that the 'Bicholim mamlatdar' embossed on it wasn't removed!
(Feedback@tuesdaytickles.blogspot.com)
Kudos to the ‘Lil Champ’
Many, friends and foes, lament that this column always focusses on the negative. Can't help it. These tickles are meant to entertain the readers, while I'm not sure what it does to the subjects. But in deference to those who complain that it's too negative, I've decided to begin with a negative about some positive news -- World Championship winning feat of little Nitish Belurkar. Only, the negativism is aimed at my own, the press corps.
A boring double century by Sachin Tendulkar makes front page news on almost all newspapers. But Nitish Belurkar, the std IV student from Sharada Mandir School who did Goa and India proud by becoming the joint world school champion in chess, finds himself confined to an obscure section of the local dailies.
World champion at 9 years of age. Vow! But unfortunately for Nitish, chess is not cricket, and he's not yet a Vishwanathan Anand, for media-owning and patronising businesses to make him their brand Ambassador.
Nevertheless, here's toasting the little champ and wishing him all the best to climb greater heights in the world of chess to make Goa and India proud.
The Secret diary of Mickky
Page I:
I was getting dejected and nervous. Application after application, was being rejected by the judges, only aggravating my jaundice, blood pressure and blood sugar problems in the confines of my police cell. The phony diet, cockroaches scurrying all around the place, and that naughty little mouse that kept coming and going, taking the mickey out of me, didn't help either.
One of my days in the cell with my thinking cap on, this thought came to my mind: 'No one can have such a long run of bad luck. There’s something ominously wrong. The referees aren’t playing fair, and I guess, I need to disband my legal team, just as I disbanded Fransa-Pax mid-way into the National League.”
Telepathically, Betalbatim reacted. Even Viola couldn’t stop the maurading supporters from booing and heckling my team outside the High Court where my team lost the match for bail. Can’t blame them, can I? After all, they were only emulating their master who’s bull run has to date scalped a KTC driver, a cop at the Hospicio junction and an Electricity Dept Junior Engineer at Fransa House in Betalbatim.
And what I thought, in that dingy prison cell at Sada sub-jail came right. In the first attempt, my Legal Team II won its first outing and I got to say good-bye to jail. And how! Hoards of my supporters were there, who garlanded me and Viola. The euphoria was so much that Viola and I, felt very much like what Winnie and Nelson Mandela must have felt on that historic February 11, 1990 on Robben island.
Page II:
There was this one other day, when I was removed from police custody and sent to judicial custody in Sada sub-jail, that I saw a political opportunity. After all, in politics there are no permanent friends or enemies, so the very prospect of meeting my tormentor-in-chief at the 2007 hustings in Benaulim John Fernandes at Sada, instantly brought this thought to my mind: How about making friends?
With Valanka striding all over the place dishing out fertilizer bags and what not, it reminded me of the 'Trojan' strategy I successfully played out in Saligao, in my pre-2007 cabinet stint to give my boss Dr Willy a taste of defeat. Clearly, the political sand was shifting and I could do with a friend like John to tackle this woman lawyer. They put me in a cell at Sada jail and behold, I was face-to-face with the man! I tried to force a smile, but he didn't respond. Perhaps he's not forgiven me for my driving around the Colva police station with the Russian flag flying on my Hummer that December night.
Then, something unexpected happened. There I was chatting and instantly drawing up plans with John for the next innings in Benaulim. After all, the world knows that I can have as many women as I want, but when fighting one I get all so messy. And John is the perfect weapon to be unleased on Valanka. I was wholly disappointed when I woke up and discovered that I was in my cell and all the John talk was only a dream. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, I got bail from Court and couldn't even give a try to realise my previous night's dream.
(As imagined by this columnist)
A boring double century by Sachin Tendulkar makes front page news on almost all newspapers. But Nitish Belurkar, the std IV student from Sharada Mandir School who did Goa and India proud by becoming the joint world school champion in chess, finds himself confined to an obscure section of the local dailies.
World champion at 9 years of age. Vow! But unfortunately for Nitish, chess is not cricket, and he's not yet a Vishwanathan Anand, for media-owning and patronising businesses to make him their brand Ambassador.
Nevertheless, here's toasting the little champ and wishing him all the best to climb greater heights in the world of chess to make Goa and India proud.
The Secret diary of Mickky
Page I:
I was getting dejected and nervous. Application after application, was being rejected by the judges, only aggravating my jaundice, blood pressure and blood sugar problems in the confines of my police cell. The phony diet, cockroaches scurrying all around the place, and that naughty little mouse that kept coming and going, taking the mickey out of me, didn't help either.
One of my days in the cell with my thinking cap on, this thought came to my mind: 'No one can have such a long run of bad luck. There’s something ominously wrong. The referees aren’t playing fair, and I guess, I need to disband my legal team, just as I disbanded Fransa-Pax mid-way into the National League.”
Telepathically, Betalbatim reacted. Even Viola couldn’t stop the maurading supporters from booing and heckling my team outside the High Court where my team lost the match for bail. Can’t blame them, can I? After all, they were only emulating their master who’s bull run has to date scalped a KTC driver, a cop at the Hospicio junction and an Electricity Dept Junior Engineer at Fransa House in Betalbatim.
And what I thought, in that dingy prison cell at Sada sub-jail came right. In the first attempt, my Legal Team II won its first outing and I got to say good-bye to jail. And how! Hoards of my supporters were there, who garlanded me and Viola. The euphoria was so much that Viola and I, felt very much like what Winnie and Nelson Mandela must have felt on that historic February 11, 1990 on Robben island.
Page II:
There was this one other day, when I was removed from police custody and sent to judicial custody in Sada sub-jail, that I saw a political opportunity. After all, in politics there are no permanent friends or enemies, so the very prospect of meeting my tormentor-in-chief at the 2007 hustings in Benaulim John Fernandes at Sada, instantly brought this thought to my mind: How about making friends?
With Valanka striding all over the place dishing out fertilizer bags and what not, it reminded me of the 'Trojan' strategy I successfully played out in Saligao, in my pre-2007 cabinet stint to give my boss Dr Willy a taste of defeat. Clearly, the political sand was shifting and I could do with a friend like John to tackle this woman lawyer. They put me in a cell at Sada jail and behold, I was face-to-face with the man! I tried to force a smile, but he didn't respond. Perhaps he's not forgiven me for my driving around the Colva police station with the Russian flag flying on my Hummer that December night.
Then, something unexpected happened. There I was chatting and instantly drawing up plans with John for the next innings in Benaulim. After all, the world knows that I can have as many women as I want, but when fighting one I get all so messy. And John is the perfect weapon to be unleased on Valanka. I was wholly disappointed when I woke up and discovered that I was in my cell and all the John talk was only a dream. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, I got bail from Court and couldn't even give a try to realise my previous night's dream.
(As imagined by this columnist)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Politics: More is not always ‘the merrier’
An eventful week in Goa indeed was the one that just went by, what with first, the strongman of Taleigao, Babush Monserrate joining the Congress. And, almost as if he was waiting to beat Babush to the post, the Prince of Sattari Vishwajeet Rane followed suit for which he had to voluntarily give up his membership of the legislative assembly but not its perks -- ministership.
Many in the media have interpreted this buttressing of numbers of the Congress as a boost for the stability of the Digambar Kamat-led government. One analysis said it is a move to give Goa a single party rule of the Congress and very soon, the Dhavlikar Brothers will be forced to do the same. Another analysis termed it Digubab's 'masterstroke'. Not one has given the other possibility - the developments triggering infighting, and consequently, instability - a chance.
But I do. And coincidentally, in today's edition of GT in the leader on the Edit page, the veteran Mario Cabral e Sa, shares my view.
In politics more is not always merrier. More so in the case of Goa, where on umpteen occasions in the past CMs have had to bite the dust soon after they engineered defections to buttress their strengths. It happened to Pratapsing Rane in the 1990s when a couple of months after he brought in Antonio Gauncar into the Congress fold Dr Willie, Narvekar and Shirodkar ganged up to dethrone him.
Ditto happened to Luizinho Faleiro in 1999-2000, who as CM then went on a party-eliminating spree. He first brought in Jose Philip and Suresh Parulekar from the UGDP, and followed it up with Ramakant Khalap and Prakash Velip from the MGP. The result? Sardinha, Narvekar, Shirodkar, Aleixo Sequeira and gang bolted to unleash a fall from which the once invincible Navelcar is yet to recover.
Parrikar too learnt this lesson the hard way. Facing an assault from Babush Monserrate, he instantly admitted into the BJP the now on-the-run Mickky who in less than 24 hours joined the five, including Digubab, that ended Parrikar's heady days in power, in early 2005.So my hunch is, strength in numbers isn't going to be strength in the CM's seat for my friend Digubab. He is bound to be troubled by the demands of a growing number of mouths he has to feed in the Congress stable and you can count on the latest entrants to lead the charge, sooner rather than later. The only trumpcard is the insurmountable power of the High Command as long as the party rules Delhi, and Digubab will last only as long as Madam wants him to.
Why ‘bhakkam pedha’?
An ashen-expressioned chief minister Digambar Kamat and a grinning Goa Pradesh Congress Committee chief Subhash Shirodkar provided the media two photo opportunities last week. And, on both occasions, they seemed keen to show the media and the aam aadmi how pedestrian the Congress realy is, by allowing Vishwajeet Rane and Babush Monserrate, who have walked all over the party in the past, back into the party fold.
But, keen observers of politics would have noticed something very interesting during both photo ops. Kamat and Shirodkar welcomed Babush and Vishwajeet with a 'bhakkam pedha'.
Why? Because 'bhakkam pedha' is a sweet made of flour, deep fried and then soaked in sugar syrup. Distinctly unhealthy, distinctly proletariat. It's one of those sweets which none of our high-blood pressure, high-sugar suffering politicians really like to have. It's less classy, more of an aam janta sweetmeat, cheap and in these cost cutting days can still sweeten the mouth without biting the wallet.
So why were Babush and Vishwajeet fed a 'bhakkam pedha' on their re-entry into the Congress? Because according to one Congressman, the party really does not know how to handle these two politically fidgety and volatile caricatures, once they've slip into the ranks. It was tough anyway to handle them when they were on the fringes. So, the Congress organizational bigwigs decided to mount a strategy called ‘Operation Slow-Sweet-Poisoning’ and the bhakkam pedhas were put into action. We have a feeling both Vishwajeet and Babush were tipped off by some members of the Goa Congress, which is traditionally known for its penchant for betrayals. They only nibbled a bit of the bhakkam pedha. Was it sweet enough? We dunno… maybe their blood sugar levels will tell.
Tailpiece
If there's one lesson Diggubab has learnt from the Mickky episode, it is that henceforth he will induct a minister, if and when he has to tweak his team, only after the candidate goes through a libido test.
Can't blame these men. What else can one expect with 39 men and just one member of the fairer sex long past her prime in a House of 40?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Cacophony: Does Diggu deserve it?
There are so many cacophonic voices here in Goa seeking to undermine, expose, defame and perhaps wanting to ultimately see the downfall of Digubab and his government. Even the lashing rains of the monsoon do not seem to be able to lower the decibles. In fact, the chorus is getting louder. The din is so shrill that I am begining to wonder: Has Digubab really been so bad a guy? Is his government the worst we've seen? Many more such questions are clogging my mind and the harder I think, the harder it gets to reach a definite 'yes' or a 'no' for an answer.
In the nearly two decades I've spent in this business of journalism, opportunity fell upon me to see from handshaking distance umpteen CMs and their governments perform, fail, suppress and opress -- in equal measure if not greater -- the people they otherwise ought to serve. None of them, faced the cacophony of dissent that Diggubab's faces today. Why, is what's puzzling me.
To grant it to Diggubab, at least he and his government lets civil society express itself, a quality his predecessor and his predecessor's predecessor, could well do with a measure of. The Monginis man Datta Naik and the good old doctor from Margao Francisco Colaco will vouch for it. Surely, none of the professionals who have take to the streets to the voice their concern over 'mega projects', etcectra, etcectra, have faced raids on their businesses from the Food and Drugs Administration.
Neither have tongues been tied, as was the case when hooliganism in the name of patriotism descended on Fontainhas, where street furniture and name plaques were mindlessly destroyed. So tongue-tied was everyone that all the hooligans went scot-free in the absence of any complaint lodged with the police. The local corporator, whose own house was a victim of the hooliganism, remained a mute spectator preferring instead to make deals in the dark alleys of politics and leaving it to the evergreen Aires Rodrigues to organise the public protest against the ugly incidents.
Media: a new lease?
The cloud over the media in the wake of the case of nexus between the police and the drug mafia has partly burst.
I am genuinely happy, that at least now after the complicity of the journos got reflected in an order of the Bombay High Court at Goa, the Goa Union of Journalists (GUJ) has woken up and demanded a CBI inquiry into the whole episode. Only hope Digubab gives in to the request so that the mystery over the identity of the journos involved is revealed and the dark clouds that cover even those journos with an honest bone are removed.
GUJ has also gone ahead and appointed an ethics-cum-disciplinary committee, in a bid to bring future transgressions by member-journos under scrutiny. I am flattered that the general body has given me the honour of being a member of this committee alongwith my senior colleagues Flaviano Dias (chairman) and Dr Bala Murali, the bureau chief of the United News of India. Hopefully, politicians, bureaucrats, cops and even the general public, who are at the receiving end of journos' unethical conduct will play their part and bring their complaints before this committee at the GUJ office located at Shramashakti Bhavan at EDC Patto Plazza. Let's give the fourth estate a chance to get transparent and clean up its act.
Double parking syndrome
Do not park with a vehicle on the sides' says one of the thumb rules for drivers. But this is exactly what everyone keeps doing, especially in the capital city leading to the traffic movement here getting worse than Margao's, despite its well planned parallel road system.
There couldn't be a worse nightmare than trying to drive your four-wheeler through 18th June Road.
So endemic is the 'double parking' malaise that road users are seemingly getting immune to it. On this road, at the Junta House-Fidalgo-SBI-Gujarat Lodge crossroads, traffic moves at a snail's pace. And the chief culprit is the RTO itself. Most of the time there are transport department jeeps or cars double-parked at the entrance of the Junta House.
Further down, people shopping at the avenue leave their drivers in cars parked at the door-step of the shop they want to get into. Some days ago I confronted a group of English tourists who had the driver of their cab park alongside a row of parked cars right in front of the 'Bombay Bazaar' outlet, leaving no room for other traffic to pass through. "Would you do this in the UK?" I asked the group. "We wouldn't be allowed to do it" shot back one from the group. All through this conversation, a lady constable, baton in hand, merely stood by like peice of ugly street furniture.
Can we have the traffic cops crack down on double parking in the city please. The RTO we know, will not.
Tail-peice
In this cat and mouse game, much like the Tom &; Jerry cartoon series where the latter mostly wins, the mouse has won this round.
Mickky actually walked into the office of Margao notary Joey Rodrigues, swore an affidavit and got it notarised, right under the nose of the police, or did he? Quite a few mouse holings in Margao for Mickky to vanish in I guess. After all, its not for nothing that Margoites are known as 'Undirs' just as Curtorkars are 'dogs' and those from Saligao foxes!
In the nearly two decades I've spent in this business of journalism, opportunity fell upon me to see from handshaking distance umpteen CMs and their governments perform, fail, suppress and opress -- in equal measure if not greater -- the people they otherwise ought to serve. None of them, faced the cacophony of dissent that Diggubab's faces today. Why, is what's puzzling me.
To grant it to Diggubab, at least he and his government lets civil society express itself, a quality his predecessor and his predecessor's predecessor, could well do with a measure of. The Monginis man Datta Naik and the good old doctor from Margao Francisco Colaco will vouch for it. Surely, none of the professionals who have take to the streets to the voice their concern over 'mega projects', etcectra, etcectra, have faced raids on their businesses from the Food and Drugs Administration.
Neither have tongues been tied, as was the case when hooliganism in the name of patriotism descended on Fontainhas, where street furniture and name plaques were mindlessly destroyed. So tongue-tied was everyone that all the hooligans went scot-free in the absence of any complaint lodged with the police. The local corporator, whose own house was a victim of the hooliganism, remained a mute spectator preferring instead to make deals in the dark alleys of politics and leaving it to the evergreen Aires Rodrigues to organise the public protest against the ugly incidents.
Media: a new lease?
The cloud over the media in the wake of the case of nexus between the police and the drug mafia has partly burst.
I am genuinely happy, that at least now after the complicity of the journos got reflected in an order of the Bombay High Court at Goa, the Goa Union of Journalists (GUJ) has woken up and demanded a CBI inquiry into the whole episode. Only hope Digubab gives in to the request so that the mystery over the identity of the journos involved is revealed and the dark clouds that cover even those journos with an honest bone are removed.
GUJ has also gone ahead and appointed an ethics-cum-disciplinary committee, in a bid to bring future transgressions by member-journos under scrutiny. I am flattered that the general body has given me the honour of being a member of this committee alongwith my senior colleagues Flaviano Dias (chairman) and Dr Bala Murali, the bureau chief of the United News of India. Hopefully, politicians, bureaucrats, cops and even the general public, who are at the receiving end of journos' unethical conduct will play their part and bring their complaints before this committee at the GUJ office located at Shramashakti Bhavan at EDC Patto Plazza. Let's give the fourth estate a chance to get transparent and clean up its act.
Double parking syndrome
Do not park with a vehicle on the sides' says one of the thumb rules for drivers. But this is exactly what everyone keeps doing, especially in the capital city leading to the traffic movement here getting worse than Margao's, despite its well planned parallel road system.
There couldn't be a worse nightmare than trying to drive your four-wheeler through 18th June Road.
So endemic is the 'double parking' malaise that road users are seemingly getting immune to it. On this road, at the Junta House-Fidalgo-SBI-Gujarat Lodge crossroads, traffic moves at a snail's pace. And the chief culprit is the RTO itself. Most of the time there are transport department jeeps or cars double-parked at the entrance of the Junta House.
Further down, people shopping at the avenue leave their drivers in cars parked at the door-step of the shop they want to get into. Some days ago I confronted a group of English tourists who had the driver of their cab park alongside a row of parked cars right in front of the 'Bombay Bazaar' outlet, leaving no room for other traffic to pass through. "Would you do this in the UK?" I asked the group. "We wouldn't be allowed to do it" shot back one from the group. All through this conversation, a lady constable, baton in hand, merely stood by like peice of ugly street furniture.
Can we have the traffic cops crack down on double parking in the city please. The RTO we know, will not.
Tail-peice
In this cat and mouse game, much like the Tom &; Jerry cartoon series where the latter mostly wins, the mouse has won this round.
Mickky actually walked into the office of Margao notary Joey Rodrigues, swore an affidavit and got it notarised, right under the nose of the police, or did he? Quite a few mouse holings in Margao for Mickky to vanish in I guess. After all, its not for nothing that Margoites are known as 'Undirs' just as Curtorkars are 'dogs' and those from Saligao foxes!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
No Woman, No Cry...
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat did last week what the name of the singer of that famous 70s reggae number 'No Woman, No Cry' suggests in amchi Konkani -- bob marley (shouted). Yet, the people in the press galleries didn't hear him too well or so Diggubab himself claims.
The almost two-and-half-year-old Chief Minister, was in a bit of a spot, when two news agencies known to tango in tandem, reported that he pitched against women entering politics. The agencies' reports claimed Kamat said that society would be impacted negatively if women, lured by the proposed 33 per-cent reservation for them, start to pursue politics vigourously.
A few English twists and turns thrown into the agencies' copy that covered this Kamat quote at that women's conference organised by Institute Menezes Braganza, and the 'news' turned out to be a political hot potato for him in Delhi. What with the Sonia Gandhi-led Congress in the forefront of the move to push the Constitutional Amendment for women's reservation through, it indeed was Digubab's political nightmare.
For the record, we still aren't sure what Kamat exactly said at the conference. We are even more at sea over what he meant, if he indeed said what the agencies claim he did. All we have to rely on is the agencies claims and Kamat's own counter-claims, alleging that he was 'misquoted' by the agencies.
But the episode, like the 'Advani is like rancid pickle' quote of his former mentor Manohar Parrikar, sure did put our CM in a bit of bother, politically.
Rane Sr’s ‘contract farming’ funda
There's nothing to speak of agriculture here in Goa. Yet, Goa's politicos, opponents of politicos (read GBA, village groups, Xetkarancho Ekvotts, etcectra) besides everyone else and sundry keep harping on farming and greening Goa day in and day out. It matters not to them, that they say one thing yesterday, a second thing today and will say something else tomorrow.
Thus was the case of Goa's longest serving CM but now the Speaker Pratapsing Rane last week. At a show where his many years junior Digambar Kamt inaugurated the new HQ of the Goa State Horticulture Corporation, Rane Sr made a strong case for farming. He lamented that many of Goa's agricultural lands are fallow and exhorted CM Diggu's government to move legislation so that these fallow stretches of land can be cultivated through 'contract farming'.
Three decades ago, when he began his political innings under the wings of father-daughter duo of Dayanand Bandodkar and Shashikala Kakodkar, Rane Sr had authored the report of the House Committee on Land Reforms, which turned out to be the death knell of agriculture in Goa. The 'Rane Report' of the 1970s, which incidentally borrowed large chunks from a similar document prepared by former West Bengal Governor of Goan origin A L Dias, was the guiding document that the government of the day relied on to enact the Agriculture Tenancy Act.
So, why another legislation now? Doesn't the law governing lease and licence contracts suffice?
FICCI ka firki
Suddenly the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has begun pontificating on issues that do not concern Industry at all. The Indian industry lobbyist is now advocating abolition of the public distribution system (PDS) because it says the lifeline of millions of Indians involves large revenue leaks. Instead, it has proposed to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) that the government introduce 'food stamps' for the starving below poverty line people.
Beats me how 'food stamps' will not leak! Yet, I fervently hope Dr Manmohan Singh takes the FICCI recommendation seriously and acts. But before that, his government should issue a huge 'Jail Stamp' for all of FICCI's Ramalinga Rajus, Ketan Parekhs and not to forget, the late Harshad Mehtas, who bribed to misuse and abuse the hard earned money of every Indian 'aam admi' parked in financial instruments like the US-64 and such other mutual funds.
Last but not the least a 'Shut-up Stamp' for FICCI itself is long overdue.
The almost two-and-half-year-old Chief Minister, was in a bit of a spot, when two news agencies known to tango in tandem, reported that he pitched against women entering politics. The agencies' reports claimed Kamat said that society would be impacted negatively if women, lured by the proposed 33 per-cent reservation for them, start to pursue politics vigourously.
A few English twists and turns thrown into the agencies' copy that covered this Kamat quote at that women's conference organised by Institute Menezes Braganza, and the 'news' turned out to be a political hot potato for him in Delhi. What with the Sonia Gandhi-led Congress in the forefront of the move to push the Constitutional Amendment for women's reservation through, it indeed was Digubab's political nightmare.
For the record, we still aren't sure what Kamat exactly said at the conference. We are even more at sea over what he meant, if he indeed said what the agencies claim he did. All we have to rely on is the agencies claims and Kamat's own counter-claims, alleging that he was 'misquoted' by the agencies.
But the episode, like the 'Advani is like rancid pickle' quote of his former mentor Manohar Parrikar, sure did put our CM in a bit of bother, politically.
Rane Sr’s ‘contract farming’ funda
There's nothing to speak of agriculture here in Goa. Yet, Goa's politicos, opponents of politicos (read GBA, village groups, Xetkarancho Ekvotts, etcectra) besides everyone else and sundry keep harping on farming and greening Goa day in and day out. It matters not to them, that they say one thing yesterday, a second thing today and will say something else tomorrow.
Thus was the case of Goa's longest serving CM but now the Speaker Pratapsing Rane last week. At a show where his many years junior Digambar Kamt inaugurated the new HQ of the Goa State Horticulture Corporation, Rane Sr made a strong case for farming. He lamented that many of Goa's agricultural lands are fallow and exhorted CM Diggu's government to move legislation so that these fallow stretches of land can be cultivated through 'contract farming'.
Three decades ago, when he began his political innings under the wings of father-daughter duo of Dayanand Bandodkar and Shashikala Kakodkar, Rane Sr had authored the report of the House Committee on Land Reforms, which turned out to be the death knell of agriculture in Goa. The 'Rane Report' of the 1970s, which incidentally borrowed large chunks from a similar document prepared by former West Bengal Governor of Goan origin A L Dias, was the guiding document that the government of the day relied on to enact the Agriculture Tenancy Act.
So, why another legislation now? Doesn't the law governing lease and licence contracts suffice?
FICCI ka firki
Suddenly the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has begun pontificating on issues that do not concern Industry at all. The Indian industry lobbyist is now advocating abolition of the public distribution system (PDS) because it says the lifeline of millions of Indians involves large revenue leaks. Instead, it has proposed to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) that the government introduce 'food stamps' for the starving below poverty line people.
Beats me how 'food stamps' will not leak! Yet, I fervently hope Dr Manmohan Singh takes the FICCI recommendation seriously and acts. But before that, his government should issue a huge 'Jail Stamp' for all of FICCI's Ramalinga Rajus, Ketan Parekhs and not to forget, the late Harshad Mehtas, who bribed to misuse and abuse the hard earned money of every Indian 'aam admi' parked in financial instruments like the US-64 and such other mutual funds.
Last but not the least a 'Shut-up Stamp' for FICCI itself is long overdue.
No champions for them?
About a decade ago, when coaches (buses) were introduced by hoteliers to ferry their guests on arrival from Dabolim to their doorstep, the mainstream politicians cried foul. Goenkar taxi drivers will lose their livelihood was their refrain. They even organised a revolt, many a at times a violent one, to brow-beat the hoteliers who ultimately retreated. Now, there is some sort of a truce, a deal, where taxi drivers ferry some, and the coaches ferry others.
Similar to the taxi drivers is the case with many other sections of Goans, who's livelihoods were threatened. The politicos stepped in and restored their bread and butter. But, the fishing community of the tourism-bubbly Sinquerim-Candolim coast aren't lucky thus.
Last week I spent a few days (on holiday) at Sinquerim - not at the Taj, I can't afford it. And, I was shocked, to see the fate of the beach. There's no beach. It looks like a war zone, ravaged by sea erosion. Many believe, as does obliquely a report done by the NIO, that the rusting River Princess is responsible for it. The River Princess Hatao Manch of Candolim, was agitating but principally on behalf of those who poked their fingers in the tourism pie.
But, a section of the fishermen from the area are left high and dry. There's no beach from where they can pull their nets and bring in the catch to feed themselves and their families. Those who can afford a canoe fitted with a Yamaha outboard motor, have done it and thus worked out an alternative for themselves. But there still are a notable number of families robbed of their livelihood on the erosion-ravaged Sinquerim beach and there's no one to even bat an eyelid for them. No one to petition the government for a subsidy, relief or any such crutch to get them back on their feet.
Tourism, hospitality, water sports and what not, however, continues to survive and even thrive with the water scooters, boat rides guys and sundry having made their haven on the Taj corner of the beach. But I wonder if Sinquerim will ever see its fishermen cast their nets and pull them back to shore in the pre-dawn hours of the day again!
Finally, a chargesheet!
Red-faced after a local court granted two of the accused bail because the charge-sheet wasn't filed in the mandatory 180 days, the National Investigating Agency has finally got its feet moving on its job in the Diwali eve blasts at Margao in October last year. A chargesheet has now been filed.
Politics or otherwise, the manner in which the state moved in the aftermath of that shocking incident behind Grace Church in Margao, is puzzling. Ravi Naik as Home Minister was a 'hawk' but his boss in the cabinet, CM Digambar Kamat, who incidentally could have been a 'dead duck' victim had the plan of the perpetrators worked, came across as a dove.
Ravi's posture was understandable, what with an opportunity in hand to trip his Ponda rival Sudin Dhavlikar. But Diggu's stance seemed queer, at times illogical, in going out of his way to soften the machinery's movements against Sanatan Sanstha to which all the 11 accused, including the two dead charge-sheeted by the NIA, were affiliated.
But none of this was more puzzling than the faux pas of the NIA. The failure of this agency, set up by the Indian government in the immediate aftermath of Mumbai's 26/11 carnage, to file the charge-sheet within the stipulated 180 days is just not condonable. It has now filed the charge-sheet, 200-odd days after the incident, as if it collected some crucial evidence, in the last twenty days before filing the document in court. Plain negligence.
Churchill snubs sports journos
He's not known to be one of those politicos who'd rub the scribes the wrong way. Yet, rub them the wrong way, he did.
Churchill Alemao, who besides claiming to be the champion of politicians also prides himself as a patron of football and his Musli Powered Churchill Brothers team, has earned himself and his club the ire of a band of Goa's sports journos.
Officials of his football club began collecting passport details of Goan journos apparently to join his team on its Kuwait sojourn for the AFC Cup fixture there. This raised the spirit of my peers who cover all kinds of balls on the playfields. A trip to the Gulf as part of duty, is sure a welcome junket in this otherwise not very rewarding in either cash or kind (for some) profession. But their joy was only short-lived. At the eleventh hour, the team dropped the idea of taking along the Goa journos and instead tagged on just a couple -- one who also doubles up as Churchill Bros' media officer and another who belongs to the Old Lady of Boribunder.
This turn of events has not earned the otherwise endearing Churchill-bab any brownie points among my tribe in the sports field. But for the record, no one's complaining on the record. How can they? After all, Churchill hasn't been so mean to them all these years that he's been in politics and soccer, has he?
Tailpiece
After India's 50 years of independence, the government entitled its servicemen and other key uniformed officials to sport a logo on the left side of their chest, but only those who were in service during the the 50th year of independence were entitled. Here in Goa, every Tom, Dick and Harry in the police force wears it. Even those part of the IRB Battalions who joined service a few years ago. No one questions them, not even their superiors!
Dhirio: Mauvin v/s Parrikar!
Manohar Parrikar is going for Mauvin Godinho’s jugular and Mauvin for Parrikar’s.
Indeed, the chickens are coming home to roost for these two politicos, what with the power subsidy scam of the mid-1990s and the alleged IFFI scam of the mid-2000s coming under public scrutiny, ironically, both at the same time.
And, it couldn’t have been better, if only for the sake of accountability of our politicians and political system!
Last week, when the Supreme Court adjudicated a bunch of petitions filed by companies who were deprived of a few crores in power subsidy when the government rescinded Mauvin’s scandalous notifications a decade ago, it revived the ghost of the long forgotten power subsidy scam.
Although the apex court held that its judgement could not be construed to be a statement on the conduct of Mauvin as a minister, it nevertheless upheld the Bombay High Court verdict, that what he did to retrospectively make Extra High Tension (EHT) power consumers eligible for the power rebates, was wrong.
Worse still for Mauvin, unlike Parrikar who has Digambar, Rane, Filipe Neri, Babush, Aleixo, Zantye and a whole load of others for company to account for the IFFI sins, he has none, except perhaps the then power secretary Rakesh Mehta. Because, between Godinho and Mehta, the duo had cooked the power subsidy goose, keeping the cabinet and the rest of Goa in the dark. Now, Parrikar is asking that the CBI do the same to Mauvin what its doing to himself in the IFFI case. Ironically, Parrikar had filed the FIR against Mauvin in the power subsidy case. In the IFFI case, the roles are reversed - Mauvin is the complainant and Parrikar the accused.
This bout is sure gonna have many more rounds. And, unlike the genuine ‘dhirio’ we don’t need two other bulls from Curtorim to lock horns for its legalization. This one’s perfectly legal. So, let the game go on!!
Subhanna’s waterloo too
Interestingly, when Mauvin Godinho made a brief comeback in the cabinet in the 11-month Francisco Sardinha government, he went gunning for the lanky bureaucrat who refused to play ball with him and Mehta in the power subsidy racket.
PS Subhanna, who unquestionably holds the distinction of being Goa’s longest serving law secretary, had refused to give the Godinho-Mehta jugglery any legal ‘all clear’ before and after the scam broke out in 1997.
And so, Godinho under Sardinha hounded him out with a skeleton they picked out from the files of the Mayem Evacuee Property, of which Subhanna was the custodian for many, many years!
The ex-law secretary, credited to have had a way out for everything that any politician in power wanted done - whether black, white or any shade of grey - was summarily dismissed during the ‘Naal Sorkar’ regime, courtesy revenge for Mauvin.
Why’s SP (North) still ‘acting’?
It’s about a month since Bosco George was sent marching to the Raj Bhavan as ADC to Dr SS Siddhu, apparently due to the unchecked activities of his younger brother in the dark alleys of Anjuna-Siolim. Yet, Arvind Gawas continues to be only the ‘Acting’ Superintendent of Police of North, in addition to his position as SP (Traffic). Well, the same old traditional war in the ranks - IPS officers v/s state cadre officers - has reached the point of no return.
In fact, DGP Bhim Sain Bassi, is facing an extremely cold-shoulder from almost every state cadre officer. And, with almost every operational position in the force occupied by them, the top officer is finding it next to impossible to have his writ run in the force. So, despite the air-conditioned cabin, the temperatures at the headquarters are too hot for Bassi to handle.
So, when the whole police-drug mafia story broke out, the ‘saraswats’ of the Police Force (read IPS lobby) saw an opportunity to corner Bosco George, and corner him they did, flaunting the shady activities of his younger brother in the nocturnal businesses of Anjuna-Siolim. All of this, because Bassi wanted the only SP-ranked IPS officer in the force - Veenu Bansal - to occupy the North Goa SP’s post. Unfortunately for Bassi, no politician who heads the home ministry is going to let this happen, what with IPS officers naïve about the political nitty-gritties of Goa. Remember? What happened when Ravi Naik had Neeraj Thakur heading the North Goa Police? The Monserrates will know better.
Now, Ravi, according to a mole in the DGP’s office, is refusing to let the office of SP (North) be occupied by an officer who is not a Goan. That’s why, the expected order transferring Bansal as SP (North) is just not happening. So, the SP (Traffic) will continue to also be SP (North), at least until Ravi and Bassi have made another deal!
Clearly, all is not well in the top echelons of the Goa police and it’s showing. Or else, an Anti-Narcotic Cell would have nothing to do with searching and arresting a ‘so-called’ naxalite and his associates, would it?
Band stand’s ready… are the musicians?
Time will tell.
Indeed, the chickens are coming home to roost for these two politicos, what with the power subsidy scam of the mid-1990s and the alleged IFFI scam of the mid-2000s coming under public scrutiny, ironically, both at the same time.
And, it couldn’t have been better, if only for the sake of accountability of our politicians and political system!
Last week, when the Supreme Court adjudicated a bunch of petitions filed by companies who were deprived of a few crores in power subsidy when the government rescinded Mauvin’s scandalous notifications a decade ago, it revived the ghost of the long forgotten power subsidy scam.
Although the apex court held that its judgement could not be construed to be a statement on the conduct of Mauvin as a minister, it nevertheless upheld the Bombay High Court verdict, that what he did to retrospectively make Extra High Tension (EHT) power consumers eligible for the power rebates, was wrong.
Worse still for Mauvin, unlike Parrikar who has Digambar, Rane, Filipe Neri, Babush, Aleixo, Zantye and a whole load of others for company to account for the IFFI sins, he has none, except perhaps the then power secretary Rakesh Mehta. Because, between Godinho and Mehta, the duo had cooked the power subsidy goose, keeping the cabinet and the rest of Goa in the dark. Now, Parrikar is asking that the CBI do the same to Mauvin what its doing to himself in the IFFI case. Ironically, Parrikar had filed the FIR against Mauvin in the power subsidy case. In the IFFI case, the roles are reversed - Mauvin is the complainant and Parrikar the accused.
This bout is sure gonna have many more rounds. And, unlike the genuine ‘dhirio’ we don’t need two other bulls from Curtorim to lock horns for its legalization. This one’s perfectly legal. So, let the game go on!!
Subhanna’s waterloo too
Interestingly, when Mauvin Godinho made a brief comeback in the cabinet in the 11-month Francisco Sardinha government, he went gunning for the lanky bureaucrat who refused to play ball with him and Mehta in the power subsidy racket.
PS Subhanna, who unquestionably holds the distinction of being Goa’s longest serving law secretary, had refused to give the Godinho-Mehta jugglery any legal ‘all clear’ before and after the scam broke out in 1997.
And so, Godinho under Sardinha hounded him out with a skeleton they picked out from the files of the Mayem Evacuee Property, of which Subhanna was the custodian for many, many years!
The ex-law secretary, credited to have had a way out for everything that any politician in power wanted done - whether black, white or any shade of grey - was summarily dismissed during the ‘Naal Sorkar’ regime, courtesy revenge for Mauvin.
Why’s SP (North) still ‘acting’?
It’s about a month since Bosco George was sent marching to the Raj Bhavan as ADC to Dr SS Siddhu, apparently due to the unchecked activities of his younger brother in the dark alleys of Anjuna-Siolim. Yet, Arvind Gawas continues to be only the ‘Acting’ Superintendent of Police of North, in addition to his position as SP (Traffic). Well, the same old traditional war in the ranks - IPS officers v/s state cadre officers - has reached the point of no return.
In fact, DGP Bhim Sain Bassi, is facing an extremely cold-shoulder from almost every state cadre officer. And, with almost every operational position in the force occupied by them, the top officer is finding it next to impossible to have his writ run in the force. So, despite the air-conditioned cabin, the temperatures at the headquarters are too hot for Bassi to handle.
So, when the whole police-drug mafia story broke out, the ‘saraswats’ of the Police Force (read IPS lobby) saw an opportunity to corner Bosco George, and corner him they did, flaunting the shady activities of his younger brother in the nocturnal businesses of Anjuna-Siolim. All of this, because Bassi wanted the only SP-ranked IPS officer in the force - Veenu Bansal - to occupy the North Goa SP’s post. Unfortunately for Bassi, no politician who heads the home ministry is going to let this happen, what with IPS officers naïve about the political nitty-gritties of Goa. Remember? What happened when Ravi Naik had Neeraj Thakur heading the North Goa Police? The Monserrates will know better.
Now, Ravi, according to a mole in the DGP’s office, is refusing to let the office of SP (North) be occupied by an officer who is not a Goan. That’s why, the expected order transferring Bansal as SP (North) is just not happening. So, the SP (Traffic) will continue to also be SP (North), at least until Ravi and Bassi have made another deal!
Clearly, all is not well in the top echelons of the Goa police and it’s showing. Or else, an Anti-Narcotic Cell would have nothing to do with searching and arresting a ‘so-called’ naxalite and his associates, would it?
Band stand’s ready… are the musicians?
Stripped naked in the hurry its MLA, Manohar Parrikar was in, ostensibly to have Panjim all decked up, mascara and all, for IFFI-2004, Panjim’s iconic bandstand at its municipal garden is up and ready.
The garden itself has a few more months of work to go. Yet I wonder if when it’s ready, Goa’s musicians will be to once again occupy this space which decades ago played host to the wizardy of almost every Goan musician - brass bands, the Bondos, Remos, Nandinhos, Alexandres, Augusts, etcectra, etcectra. Or, will we have to wait for an event management company to commercially exploit this public rare public space for us to listen to our musicians display their skills?
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Cong bitten but not shy!!
The Congress, it seems, will never heed to lessons taught by the courts, even if it's learnt it at the instance of the no-nonsense 'social activist' Aires Rodrigues.
The rap it got from the High Court which forced its government in Goa to strip two MLAs - Francis Silveira and Nilkanth Halarnkar - of the 'Parliamentary Secretary' position is past and forgotten. Ignoring the spirit of that judgement passed in the petition filed by Aires Rodrigues, the Congress-led government in North-Eastern Meghalaya, has gone ahead and appointed seventeen parliamentary secretaries!
Interestingly, former Goa CM Luizinho Faleiro is AICC general secretary and at the helm of Congress affairs in the North East, including Meghalaya. Himself an advocate, he could not have been ignorant of the Bombay High Court order which forced the Digambar Kamat government to divest Halarnkar and Silveira of their 'secretarial' responsibilities. But to be fair to him, Faleiro, who is otherwise very media saavy, has stayed aloof and maintained an uncharacteristic silence at least in the media, over the recent political happenings in Meghalaya, although its unlikely that the new Meghalaya CM appointed the 17 parliamentary secretaries without his and the Congress High Command's nod.
Mahindra goes the Sesa way
Last week, jeep makers Mahindras pulled out of soccer much in the same way Sesa Goa had over 15 years ago. And while most will be shocked and angry at the move announced by Mahindra United's chairman Alan Durante in Mumbai on Friday last, I am tickled and glad. For, as Durante says, running a club at the top tier of Indian football - the I-League - hasn't helped Indian football much. It has only contributed to its stagnation, with the same bunch of footballers changing clubs at every transfer season, for a higher price.
Resultantly, India continues to be placed at 100-something in the FIFA ranking, lower than what it was ranked when AIFF announced professionalism in football with the National Football League in 1996-97. Then, Sesa disbanded its team and instead invested in a football academy. Today, one-third of the players at the highest level are products of Sesa's Academy.
Bhutias and Brunos don't get made at clubs like Dempos, Churchill Brothers, Salgaocars, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. They are nurtured in schools, and its time for all to give a serious thought to what Mahindra says it will do -- develop the game at the grassroots level by concentrating on school soccer.
Muscle muzzle
Photojournalists got a taste of how muscle muzzles the press in Education Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate's 'Taleigao Republic' when they ventured there to shoot pictures of the slab collapse of an under-construction hotel project belonging to the minister.
When photographers went to take the pictures on learning of the accident, they were confronted by a group of well-built men, who discouraged them from doing their job. One of the rowdies even threatened to confiscate the camera of a photo-journalist and threatened: "We have trashed the cops and the Youth Congress. what are you (press) in comparison?"
Kudos to the photo-journos who did not get cowed down and stuck to the call of duty and inform the public of the slab collapse that injured some labourers. Strangely, the police booked the case only a day later, perhaps because the incident got reported in the newspapers through photographs and reports.
Water and wine
Dayanand Narvekar made another appearance in dissident best, taking a swipe at PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao, over the water woes in Porvorim and other parts of Bardez. He twisted that historic 'No Bread, then let them eat cake' quote attributed to the 18th century French Queen Marie Antonette and chided Churchill-bab that he intends to supply to the thirsty Bardez residents, not water but wine!
In the same outing, Narvekar also took a swipe at Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, obliquely blaming but not naming the Town and Country Planning Department headed by him for the water woes in Porvorim. The high-rise buildings that have sprung up in the burgeoning township is to blame for the shortage, is his claim.
Kamat, true to his style, hasn't responded. But that's not Churchill's style. The Varca strongman, known to have his ear to the ground, took the wine comment in his stride and in fact patted Narvekar for it.
At a function in Parra to launch some PWD projects, Alemao said he holds no grudge against Narvekar but in the same breath vowed to sort out Bardez' water problems.
'I am here because of the people and I will try and live up to their expectations' was his response to Narvekar's wine-for-water snide.
Remo Fernandes bows
Goa's pop-king Remo Fernandes got a taste of what happens when one fails to practice what you preach.
Performing after nearly a decade in Margao on Friday last, Remo interspersed his songs with jabs and critique of the government, ministers and politicians, for failing to protect Goa and its culture. But in his entire one-and-half-hour performance, the star had no Goan flavour. So some from the crowd kept egging him on to belt out a Konkani number.
But Remo is Remo and he sought to deny the fans the pleasure saying: "When you go to a shop and pay to buy a kg of any item, you don’t get one-and-half kg."
However, in the audience was Margao's first lady, Pratima Coutinho, who in fact was the guest of honour for the show. Not one to let Remo have his say on this one, Pratima ran onto the stage and insisted that Remo sing a Konkani song. Left with no choice, Remo reluctantly belted out “Undir Mujea Mama”, much to the delight of the crowd.
All's well that ends well!
Talepiece
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat did indeed go to Gujarat on May 1 but kept away from the official bash to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of that state. Instead, he attended the parrallel function organised by the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee where he waxed eloquent over the contribution of Gujaratis in Goa's trade and business, when his turn came to speak.
Discretion is indeed the better part of valour what with the CM's off-the-cuff 'Modi is my good friend' comment stirring a mini-controversy in Goa's waiting-to-revolt Congress ranks!
The rap it got from the High Court which forced its government in Goa to strip two MLAs - Francis Silveira and Nilkanth Halarnkar - of the 'Parliamentary Secretary' position is past and forgotten. Ignoring the spirit of that judgement passed in the petition filed by Aires Rodrigues, the Congress-led government in North-Eastern Meghalaya, has gone ahead and appointed seventeen parliamentary secretaries!
Interestingly, former Goa CM Luizinho Faleiro is AICC general secretary and at the helm of Congress affairs in the North East, including Meghalaya. Himself an advocate, he could not have been ignorant of the Bombay High Court order which forced the Digambar Kamat government to divest Halarnkar and Silveira of their 'secretarial' responsibilities. But to be fair to him, Faleiro, who is otherwise very media saavy, has stayed aloof and maintained an uncharacteristic silence at least in the media, over the recent political happenings in Meghalaya, although its unlikely that the new Meghalaya CM appointed the 17 parliamentary secretaries without his and the Congress High Command's nod.
Mahindra goes the Sesa way
Last week, jeep makers Mahindras pulled out of soccer much in the same way Sesa Goa had over 15 years ago. And while most will be shocked and angry at the move announced by Mahindra United's chairman Alan Durante in Mumbai on Friday last, I am tickled and glad. For, as Durante says, running a club at the top tier of Indian football - the I-League - hasn't helped Indian football much. It has only contributed to its stagnation, with the same bunch of footballers changing clubs at every transfer season, for a higher price.
Resultantly, India continues to be placed at 100-something in the FIFA ranking, lower than what it was ranked when AIFF announced professionalism in football with the National Football League in 1996-97. Then, Sesa disbanded its team and instead invested in a football academy. Today, one-third of the players at the highest level are products of Sesa's Academy.
Bhutias and Brunos don't get made at clubs like Dempos, Churchill Brothers, Salgaocars, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. They are nurtured in schools, and its time for all to give a serious thought to what Mahindra says it will do -- develop the game at the grassroots level by concentrating on school soccer.
Muscle muzzle
Photojournalists got a taste of how muscle muzzles the press in Education Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate's 'Taleigao Republic' when they ventured there to shoot pictures of the slab collapse of an under-construction hotel project belonging to the minister.
When photographers went to take the pictures on learning of the accident, they were confronted by a group of well-built men, who discouraged them from doing their job. One of the rowdies even threatened to confiscate the camera of a photo-journalist and threatened: "We have trashed the cops and the Youth Congress. what are you (press) in comparison?"
Kudos to the photo-journos who did not get cowed down and stuck to the call of duty and inform the public of the slab collapse that injured some labourers. Strangely, the police booked the case only a day later, perhaps because the incident got reported in the newspapers through photographs and reports.
Water and wine
Dayanand Narvekar made another appearance in dissident best, taking a swipe at PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao, over the water woes in Porvorim and other parts of Bardez. He twisted that historic 'No Bread, then let them eat cake' quote attributed to the 18th century French Queen Marie Antonette and chided Churchill-bab that he intends to supply to the thirsty Bardez residents, not water but wine!
In the same outing, Narvekar also took a swipe at Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, obliquely blaming but not naming the Town and Country Planning Department headed by him for the water woes in Porvorim. The high-rise buildings that have sprung up in the burgeoning township is to blame for the shortage, is his claim.
Kamat, true to his style, hasn't responded. But that's not Churchill's style. The Varca strongman, known to have his ear to the ground, took the wine comment in his stride and in fact patted Narvekar for it.
At a function in Parra to launch some PWD projects, Alemao said he holds no grudge against Narvekar but in the same breath vowed to sort out Bardez' water problems.
'I am here because of the people and I will try and live up to their expectations' was his response to Narvekar's wine-for-water snide.
Remo Fernandes bows
Goa's pop-king Remo Fernandes got a taste of what happens when one fails to practice what you preach.
Performing after nearly a decade in Margao on Friday last, Remo interspersed his songs with jabs and critique of the government, ministers and politicians, for failing to protect Goa and its culture. But in his entire one-and-half-hour performance, the star had no Goan flavour. So some from the crowd kept egging him on to belt out a Konkani number.
But Remo is Remo and he sought to deny the fans the pleasure saying: "When you go to a shop and pay to buy a kg of any item, you don’t get one-and-half kg."
However, in the audience was Margao's first lady, Pratima Coutinho, who in fact was the guest of honour for the show. Not one to let Remo have his say on this one, Pratima ran onto the stage and insisted that Remo sing a Konkani song. Left with no choice, Remo reluctantly belted out “Undir Mujea Mama”, much to the delight of the crowd.
All's well that ends well!
Talepiece
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat did indeed go to Gujarat on May 1 but kept away from the official bash to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of that state. Instead, he attended the parrallel function organised by the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee where he waxed eloquent over the contribution of Gujaratis in Goa's trade and business, when his turn came to speak.
Discretion is indeed the better part of valour what with the CM's off-the-cuff 'Modi is my good friend' comment stirring a mini-controversy in Goa's waiting-to-revolt Congress ranks!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Is the pickle getting rancid?
Two big stories hit the headlines in the last fortnight. The Modi-Tharoor-Gabriella-Pushkar fiasco at the national level, and, back home in Goa, the CBI case against Goa's Mr Clean - Manohar Parrikar - over IFFI 2004.
Not much in common in the two gentlemen involved in these cases.
For instance, the public perception about the ex-IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, is nowhere even close to the huge 'Mr Clean' image of our own 'Bhai' has he is affectionately called by friends and BJP cadres. Yet the two face the same charge - alleged malfeasance.
Strangely however, the defence -- the 'I have done nothing wrong' types - proferred by the two have striking similarities. Also, another strategy adopted by Parrikar - 'If I am guilty, so are all the other members of the IFFI Core Committee' - finds an echo in what Modi's doing, of seeking to implicate all the members of the IPL Governing Council.
But there sure is a common lesson for the Modis, Parrikars, et al - People in glass houses should not throw stones.
Some eight years ago, Parrikar was on the other side of the fence and at the helm, hitting straight drives, square-cuts and hook-shots that saw two top Congress politicians -- Mauvin Godinho and Somnath Zuwarkar - land in jail and another, Dayanand Narvekar, in hospital to escape jail.
'Let them face the law' was his oft-repeated justification for his chosen men in the Goa Police hounding these political foes of his. Now, suddenly, he finds himself facing the law, and ironically, on a complaint filed by the hounded - Mauvin Godinho. And, he is complaining!
'Political parties in power should not use agencies to unleash political vendettas' was his refrain after the two-hour grilling at the CBI. Is the pickle getting rancid?
To grant it to Parrikar, however, he still retains this huge 'Mr Clean' perception among the public. Almost every person, I've spoken to after his two-hour interrogation by the CBI hit the headlines, vociferously vouched that he is clean, and will come out clean in the 'IFFI-in-a-jiffy' case.
The war within
The young man of Goa's politics, Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane, seems to be in a tearing hurry. Sources in his camp say G-7 is a thing of the past. The Sattari scion now has his eyes set on the 2012 general election and chosen men in the five Bicholim-Sattari constituencies who he wants as MLAs after those polls. And, BJP's Bicholim legislator, Rajesh Patnekar, is in his plans, never mind that umpteen attempts to get Patnekar to join the Congress in the recent past have failed.
But what lends credence to the Patnekar story is that Rane Jr has given Naresh Sawal, until recently his blue-eyed boy in Bicholim, a freezing shoulder. He's been given a telling off, but Sawal is not one to give up so easily. Apparently, Sawal has clinged on to another Congress bigwig - Ramakant Khalap - and the two were recently seen in each other's company on the dais at a public function in Mencurem-Bicholim.
Not to be outdone, Rane Jr has begun dabbling in Khalap's Pernem - the seat carved out from the erstwhile Mandrem and Pernem seats in the last delimitation. He has vowed to field Sangeeta Parab and is often seen in Pernem's jurisdiction in the lady's company. The war seems to be out there in the open.
In several other parts of Goa, the Congress faces such dilemmas. Churchill v/s Luizinho v/s Sardinha in Salcete. In Canacona, it's gonna be Isidore Fernandes v/s Sanjay Bandekar for the lone seat. And, many more such battles are yet to break out in the open.
As usual, the Congress needs no enemy. The Congress itself suffices, as the party's own matriarch - Sonia Gandhi - so often points out.
Taste of their own medicine
One hot and humid afternoon last week, there was an incident where money was extorted, inside the Calangute police station. And for once, it was the cop that had to shell out.
A 'eunuch' held a police sub-inspector hostage for a couple of minutes. He/she demanded that the PSI give money. Finally, the PSI picked out a Rs 50 note and was reluctantly handing it over to the enuch. But he/she refused to take it and demanded a minimum of Rs 200.
Interestingly, it all sounded as if this was a familiar drama at the police station. Even as the PSI struggled to wriggle out from the eunuch's grip, the other cops and staff remained unpeturbed, busy with their regular chores. The PSI's repeated requests to come again the next time or try out other police stations failed to drive the visitor away.
Finally, the PSI's claim that he was broke, it being the end of the month, worked. It prompted some change of heart, and the eunuch left with the Rs 50 note, but promised to come back when the money got to be 'real big'. Taste of their own medicine?
Not much in common in the two gentlemen involved in these cases.
For instance, the public perception about the ex-IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, is nowhere even close to the huge 'Mr Clean' image of our own 'Bhai' has he is affectionately called by friends and BJP cadres. Yet the two face the same charge - alleged malfeasance.
Strangely however, the defence -- the 'I have done nothing wrong' types - proferred by the two have striking similarities. Also, another strategy adopted by Parrikar - 'If I am guilty, so are all the other members of the IFFI Core Committee' - finds an echo in what Modi's doing, of seeking to implicate all the members of the IPL Governing Council.
But there sure is a common lesson for the Modis, Parrikars, et al - People in glass houses should not throw stones.
Some eight years ago, Parrikar was on the other side of the fence and at the helm, hitting straight drives, square-cuts and hook-shots that saw two top Congress politicians -- Mauvin Godinho and Somnath Zuwarkar - land in jail and another, Dayanand Narvekar, in hospital to escape jail.
'Let them face the law' was his oft-repeated justification for his chosen men in the Goa Police hounding these political foes of his. Now, suddenly, he finds himself facing the law, and ironically, on a complaint filed by the hounded - Mauvin Godinho. And, he is complaining!
'Political parties in power should not use agencies to unleash political vendettas' was his refrain after the two-hour grilling at the CBI. Is the pickle getting rancid?
To grant it to Parrikar, however, he still retains this huge 'Mr Clean' perception among the public. Almost every person, I've spoken to after his two-hour interrogation by the CBI hit the headlines, vociferously vouched that he is clean, and will come out clean in the 'IFFI-in-a-jiffy' case.
The war within
The young man of Goa's politics, Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane, seems to be in a tearing hurry. Sources in his camp say G-7 is a thing of the past. The Sattari scion now has his eyes set on the 2012 general election and chosen men in the five Bicholim-Sattari constituencies who he wants as MLAs after those polls. And, BJP's Bicholim legislator, Rajesh Patnekar, is in his plans, never mind that umpteen attempts to get Patnekar to join the Congress in the recent past have failed.
But what lends credence to the Patnekar story is that Rane Jr has given Naresh Sawal, until recently his blue-eyed boy in Bicholim, a freezing shoulder. He's been given a telling off, but Sawal is not one to give up so easily. Apparently, Sawal has clinged on to another Congress bigwig - Ramakant Khalap - and the two were recently seen in each other's company on the dais at a public function in Mencurem-Bicholim.
Not to be outdone, Rane Jr has begun dabbling in Khalap's Pernem - the seat carved out from the erstwhile Mandrem and Pernem seats in the last delimitation. He has vowed to field Sangeeta Parab and is often seen in Pernem's jurisdiction in the lady's company. The war seems to be out there in the open.
In several other parts of Goa, the Congress faces such dilemmas. Churchill v/s Luizinho v/s Sardinha in Salcete. In Canacona, it's gonna be Isidore Fernandes v/s Sanjay Bandekar for the lone seat. And, many more such battles are yet to break out in the open.
As usual, the Congress needs no enemy. The Congress itself suffices, as the party's own matriarch - Sonia Gandhi - so often points out.
Taste of their own medicine
One hot and humid afternoon last week, there was an incident where money was extorted, inside the Calangute police station. And for once, it was the cop that had to shell out.
A 'eunuch' held a police sub-inspector hostage for a couple of minutes. He/she demanded that the PSI give money. Finally, the PSI picked out a Rs 50 note and was reluctantly handing it over to the enuch. But he/she refused to take it and demanded a minimum of Rs 200.
Interestingly, it all sounded as if this was a familiar drama at the police station. Even as the PSI struggled to wriggle out from the eunuch's grip, the other cops and staff remained unpeturbed, busy with their regular chores. The PSI's repeated requests to come again the next time or try out other police stations failed to drive the visitor away.
Finally, the PSI's claim that he was broke, it being the end of the month, worked. It prompted some change of heart, and the eunuch left with the Rs 50 note, but promised to come back when the money got to be 'real big'. Taste of their own medicine?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Politics takes its course, law only follows it!
If you hear any top gun in government say 'law will take its own course' do not believe him. In fact, believe exactly the opposite.
Take the case of the Diwali eve blast at Margao last year. Our Home Minister, Ravi Naik was quick on the take to say the investigations will be speedy, and that all would be brought to book with no one spared. Understandably, this top gun had enough reason to go hammer and tongs on the blast investigations. For, Sanatan Saunstha, the Hindu right-wing organisation linked to the blast also had links to his cabinet colleague - Sudin Dhavlikar - who had politically tormented him since 2002, in Ponda.
But Ravi did not have his way, and, as is the case with every major police investigation, it's politics rather than law that took its course!
Apparently Diggubab, despite being a few metres away from death on that fateful Narkasur day, wasn't as enthusiastic as Ravi was as the course the latter hoped to take threatened to rock his boat. So, he rapped Ravi on his nuckles, and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) kept their work pinned around the six men including the two who died in the blast.
Now suddenly, more than six months after the blast, the National Investigative Agency, set up after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks which took over the Margao blast probe, has injected new vigour into the investigations.
If Dhavlikar's case isn't enough to convince that its politics that takes precedence over the course of law, then ask another minister -- Babush Monserrate.
Upset with the way the cops manhandled him and his family members in the aftermath of the February 19, 2008 attack on the Panjim Police Station, the Taleigao strongman himself walked up to Diggubab and demanded a CBI inquiry as part of a deal which also saw him make an entry into the cabinet at Dayanand Narvekar's expense. Now, that agency's probe has boomeranged and the Monserrates and gang have to face trial in Court!
Won't be surprised if the weighty lid shut by the Crime Branch on the messy Varca Casino case suddenly comes off and yet another Minister -- Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco -- is made to face the law.
A fallout of the goofed up political expedition by the G-7? Seems like it. After all, Diggubab isn't all that simple as he seems!
Caught in a time warp
The Goa Police department seems caught in a time warp. It released a telephone directory this year but had names of peers in the media who have long quit their positions.
For instance, it has Suresh Walve as editor of Marathi daily Navprabha, a position he quit two years ago. Walve is the 'media advisor' to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat for more than a year now. Another journalist, Raju Nayak, finds himself still with the Indian Express according to the Police Directory. Now, Raju again quit the Indian Express more than two years ago. He then had a stint with the Times of India and is currently the editor of Marathi daily Lokmat. There are a number of other entries in the directory that are outdated by years. God save us if the intelligence gathered by the men-in-uniform is as stale as the info in its 2010 telephone directory!
Cash unsafe at Police HQ?
Policemen are henceforth going to get their pay packets through bank accounts.
All this while, like the staff in many other government departments, the men-in-uniform too got paid in cash packed in envelopes. Now, the department will pay the men on its roster through the bank for which it has tied up with the banking monolith -- State Bank of India. A long overdue step, I thought, but not for the reasons the top brass in the force and those in government decided in favour of routing the cops' salaries through the bank: So much cash on pay day is unsafe at the Police headquarters!
Take the case of the Diwali eve blast at Margao last year. Our Home Minister, Ravi Naik was quick on the take to say the investigations will be speedy, and that all would be brought to book with no one spared. Understandably, this top gun had enough reason to go hammer and tongs on the blast investigations. For, Sanatan Saunstha, the Hindu right-wing organisation linked to the blast also had links to his cabinet colleague - Sudin Dhavlikar - who had politically tormented him since 2002, in Ponda.
But Ravi did not have his way, and, as is the case with every major police investigation, it's politics rather than law that took its course!
Apparently Diggubab, despite being a few metres away from death on that fateful Narkasur day, wasn't as enthusiastic as Ravi was as the course the latter hoped to take threatened to rock his boat. So, he rapped Ravi on his nuckles, and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) kept their work pinned around the six men including the two who died in the blast.
Now suddenly, more than six months after the blast, the National Investigative Agency, set up after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks which took over the Margao blast probe, has injected new vigour into the investigations.
If Dhavlikar's case isn't enough to convince that its politics that takes precedence over the course of law, then ask another minister -- Babush Monserrate.
Upset with the way the cops manhandled him and his family members in the aftermath of the February 19, 2008 attack on the Panjim Police Station, the Taleigao strongman himself walked up to Diggubab and demanded a CBI inquiry as part of a deal which also saw him make an entry into the cabinet at Dayanand Narvekar's expense. Now, that agency's probe has boomeranged and the Monserrates and gang have to face trial in Court!
Won't be surprised if the weighty lid shut by the Crime Branch on the messy Varca Casino case suddenly comes off and yet another Minister -- Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco -- is made to face the law.
A fallout of the goofed up political expedition by the G-7? Seems like it. After all, Diggubab isn't all that simple as he seems!
Caught in a time warp
The Goa Police department seems caught in a time warp. It released a telephone directory this year but had names of peers in the media who have long quit their positions.
For instance, it has Suresh Walve as editor of Marathi daily Navprabha, a position he quit two years ago. Walve is the 'media advisor' to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat for more than a year now. Another journalist, Raju Nayak, finds himself still with the Indian Express according to the Police Directory. Now, Raju again quit the Indian Express more than two years ago. He then had a stint with the Times of India and is currently the editor of Marathi daily Lokmat. There are a number of other entries in the directory that are outdated by years. God save us if the intelligence gathered by the men-in-uniform is as stale as the info in its 2010 telephone directory!
Cash unsafe at Police HQ?
Policemen are henceforth going to get their pay packets through bank accounts.
All this while, like the staff in many other government departments, the men-in-uniform too got paid in cash packed in envelopes. Now, the department will pay the men on its roster through the bank for which it has tied up with the banking monolith -- State Bank of India. A long overdue step, I thought, but not for the reasons the top brass in the force and those in government decided in favour of routing the cops' salaries through the bank: So much cash on pay day is unsafe at the Police headquarters!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Iron ore: Gimme (m)ore
So, it is all about ore!
The political rumblings in the state have got more to do with iron ore and individual cravings of the politicos rather than any issue of government and governance. Politicos, who have for decades been funded by this so called 'backbone' of the Goan economy, have become enterprising enough to themselves jump into the mining business, legal or otherwise.
And, it's this one-upmanship race to corner the 'most for myself' of the mining pie that's given shape to this obscene 'dance of democracy' currently witnessed in Goa, Mumbai and Delhi. 'G-7 in Mumbai', 'G-7 in Delhi' and 'G-7 back in Goa empty handed' are some of the classical dance steps performed in the last few weeks by these politicos.
The G17, meanwhile, prefers the tango. So, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and GPCC chief Subhash Shirodkar tango all the way to Mumbai and return back. Last week they did the same: Tango all the way to New Delhi!
Yet, there are no results. The same rotten governance and another week of speculative political reportage in the media for Goa even as the politicos meanwhile keep saying 'Gimme (m)ore'.
Sahoo’s back and haunting!
There's a bitter war on in the NRI Commission.
Sources have told us that the Secretary for the Commission, DC Sahoo has shot off a note to some heads of departments that curtails, rather questions, the 'financial powers' of the NRI Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro.
We are not sure what the provocation for it was, but Sahoo's missive for sure sent a fuming Faleiro dashing to CM Digambar Kamat to lodge a strong protest. Faleiro has demanded that Sahoo be releived and the NRI portfolio be entrusted to another bureaucrat, the source told us.
But Kamat is at his wits end how to oblige the veteran from Raia. We would suggest, he consults his former mentor Manohar Parrikar on this one. For, the last time Sahoo was unwanted, Parrikar had come up with a gem -- got rid of him not with the stick, but rather with a carrot!
In the early part of this decade, when Parrikar was a mere MLA, Sahoo as Managing Director of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation was entangled in a serious corruption case. Parrikar himself spoke of the case in the Goa Legislative Assembly but not much came of it as there was no formal complaint filed before any statutory authority. Months later, when Parrikar himself became Goa's 'Super CM' Sahoo got a huge 'promotion'. He got inducted into the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) cadre. And, when Parrikar was pushed to corner in the House by the Opposition's taunts on his U-turn on Sahoo, he came up with this gem: "It's an innovative management technique. Even Corporates follow it now-a-days. When you want to get rid of a top honcho, kick him upstairs!"
But it's Sahoo who's had the last laugh making a grand comeback to the Goa administration. This time however its not Parrikar that he's haunting, but CM Diggu's cabinet-ranked NRI Commissioner!
Ready-kar
Last week this column threw light on a certain 'Northen Paradise' on government property where rave is the name of the game. Turns out that this paradise sent the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Bardez raving after a few phone calls made by the Paradise's owners no sooner DGP Bhim Sain Bassi's surprise tour of North Goa ended up with the cops swooping down on the rocking night spot.
The phone calls made the Bardez' SDM live his name. DM Redkar 'readily' issued an 'order' (sic) directing the Anjuna Police Inspector, Manjunath Desai, to refrain from visiting the 'Paradise' for sound control purposes because, it being an indoor venue, it does not require permissions or policing for noise pollution violations.
Interestingly, 'Ready-kar's' order reached the 'Paradise' even quicker than it reached PI Manjunath at the Anjuna police station. It was the 'Paradise' that served the order on the PI rather than the SDM's office.
The order meanwhile sent the police establishment in a tizzy. But better sense finally prevailed and North Goa District Magistrate Mir Vardhan intervened to force the SDM withdraw the controversial order.
Meanwhile, GTDC which has only been threatening to act but never acted in the last almost one decade, has again gone cold on evicting the occupant of the 'Paradise'. Some 35-odd lakh of rupees is due in lease rents from the 'Paradise' which has paid the GTDC nothing over these 10 years. Cheers!
The honchos at the Provedoria, which runs the state lottery have got their Hindu Calendar all wrong. The Hindu New year began on March 16 but not for the Provedoria it seems. The institution which currently runs a pale shadow of the 'state lottery' has begun the first of a series of "GUDIPADWA" bumper lottery only this week and the first draw will be held tomorrow (April 7, 2007)!
The political rumblings in the state have got more to do with iron ore and individual cravings of the politicos rather than any issue of government and governance. Politicos, who have for decades been funded by this so called 'backbone' of the Goan economy, have become enterprising enough to themselves jump into the mining business, legal or otherwise.
And, it's this one-upmanship race to corner the 'most for myself' of the mining pie that's given shape to this obscene 'dance of democracy' currently witnessed in Goa, Mumbai and Delhi. 'G-7 in Mumbai', 'G-7 in Delhi' and 'G-7 back in Goa empty handed' are some of the classical dance steps performed in the last few weeks by these politicos.
The G17, meanwhile, prefers the tango. So, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and GPCC chief Subhash Shirodkar tango all the way to Mumbai and return back. Last week they did the same: Tango all the way to New Delhi!
Yet, there are no results. The same rotten governance and another week of speculative political reportage in the media for Goa even as the politicos meanwhile keep saying 'Gimme (m)ore'.
Sahoo’s back and haunting!
There's a bitter war on in the NRI Commission.
Sources have told us that the Secretary for the Commission, DC Sahoo has shot off a note to some heads of departments that curtails, rather questions, the 'financial powers' of the NRI Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro.
We are not sure what the provocation for it was, but Sahoo's missive for sure sent a fuming Faleiro dashing to CM Digambar Kamat to lodge a strong protest. Faleiro has demanded that Sahoo be releived and the NRI portfolio be entrusted to another bureaucrat, the source told us.
But Kamat is at his wits end how to oblige the veteran from Raia. We would suggest, he consults his former mentor Manohar Parrikar on this one. For, the last time Sahoo was unwanted, Parrikar had come up with a gem -- got rid of him not with the stick, but rather with a carrot!
In the early part of this decade, when Parrikar was a mere MLA, Sahoo as Managing Director of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation was entangled in a serious corruption case. Parrikar himself spoke of the case in the Goa Legislative Assembly but not much came of it as there was no formal complaint filed before any statutory authority. Months later, when Parrikar himself became Goa's 'Super CM' Sahoo got a huge 'promotion'. He got inducted into the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) cadre. And, when Parrikar was pushed to corner in the House by the Opposition's taunts on his U-turn on Sahoo, he came up with this gem: "It's an innovative management technique. Even Corporates follow it now-a-days. When you want to get rid of a top honcho, kick him upstairs!"
But it's Sahoo who's had the last laugh making a grand comeback to the Goa administration. This time however its not Parrikar that he's haunting, but CM Diggu's cabinet-ranked NRI Commissioner!
Ready-kar
Last week this column threw light on a certain 'Northen Paradise' on government property where rave is the name of the game. Turns out that this paradise sent the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Bardez raving after a few phone calls made by the Paradise's owners no sooner DGP Bhim Sain Bassi's surprise tour of North Goa ended up with the cops swooping down on the rocking night spot.
The phone calls made the Bardez' SDM live his name. DM Redkar 'readily' issued an 'order' (sic) directing the Anjuna Police Inspector, Manjunath Desai, to refrain from visiting the 'Paradise' for sound control purposes because, it being an indoor venue, it does not require permissions or policing for noise pollution violations.
Interestingly, 'Ready-kar's' order reached the 'Paradise' even quicker than it reached PI Manjunath at the Anjuna police station. It was the 'Paradise' that served the order on the PI rather than the SDM's office.
The order meanwhile sent the police establishment in a tizzy. But better sense finally prevailed and North Goa District Magistrate Mir Vardhan intervened to force the SDM withdraw the controversial order.
Meanwhile, GTDC which has only been threatening to act but never acted in the last almost one decade, has again gone cold on evicting the occupant of the 'Paradise'. Some 35-odd lakh of rupees is due in lease rents from the 'Paradise' which has paid the GTDC nothing over these 10 years. Cheers!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
What about the big guns??
Have we heard the last of the Atala, Dudu and gang's connections with the men-in-uniform?
Even more shocking is the Home Minister Ravi Naik admitting in the just concluded Assembly session that there exists no inventory of the drugs seized and stored in the Goa Police godown. And, he said it in typical Ravi Naik style -- cool as a cucumber.
Many expected more heads to roll, but they didn't. Early reports suggested that some members of the media also stood in the gallery of rogues. But it all seems to have been swept under the carpet and six it is that the powers have decided will be the police toll, and no more!
Northern ‘Paradise’
Enraged, the top cop blew his top sending his subordinates reeling for cover. Left with no option, the SP ordered the Anjuna Police Station in-charge to rush and shut down the 'Paradise'. He was also asked to book a case against the night spot.
Bassi meanwhile happens to be the first IPS officer to crack the whip on this 'Paradise' in the north, where the son of a former Union Minister regularly rubbed shoulders with the ravers. Incidentally the 'Paradise' operates on government property owned by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) for free!
Apparently, the owner, began operating the place using his proximity to the then CM after the Bombay Dyeing Scion was hounded out for proposing 24-hour raves, seven days a week. The raves have been continuing at the 'Paradise' since then, and the GTDC has got nothing, absolutely nothing!
And all that the GTDC has done is merely issue notices a couple of times, once as recently as two weeks ago.
Jairam!
Another reason to hail the Environment Minister of our country. Jairam Ramesh has delivered on his promise and somewhat silenced my friend and teacher Matanhy Saldanha from continuing to 'champion' the cause of Goa's 'poor' fishermen.
Ramesh has written a lengthy letter to Goa CM, and in it, has opened a huge window of hope to save the 'dwellings' of coastal residents from the demolitions threatening them.
But alas, it's uncertain whether Ramesh's stance will satisfy Goa's politicos because it seemingly gives protection only to the 'aam admi' and not the 'khas aadmi' who run the thousands of commercial establishments in the CRZ's 'no development zones'.
Jai-Ramesh!
Ever since this police-drug mafia (and media?) nexus drama unfolded, half-a-dozen policemen including one of the rank of police inspector have been netted. It's been three weeks now. And there's no more. Shocking!
Now, now. If there's no inventory, how does the Crime Branch hope to account for the drugs lying in the godown and prove the charge against their men currently behind bars, beats me. Someone high up there in the corridors of the Police Headquarters is seemingly preparing ground for the incarcerated policemen to go scot-free. Or else, are we to believe that this cartel of policemen doing business with the drug mafia was headed by a Police Inspector-ranked officer with a mere five from the constabulary for company? What happened to the DySP at the ANPS and the SP that headed it? Were they merely sucking thumbs when 'Camin', Husain and the rest ganged up with Ashish to dispose the contraband from the godowns?
CM Digambar Kamat said, there's no report that journos are involved. But neither he nor DGP Bhim Sain Bassi are willing to deny on record, the complicity of media persons in the case. Kamat said two weeks ago, that he will make a statement after he gets a 'full report' of the case which he has asked the Chief Secretary to obtain from the cops. And, Bassi on his part says all will be revealed "when the time is right". So, let's wait. Endlessly if need be.
Apartheid?
Such advertising boards reserving services for 'foreigners only' aren't uncommon in Goa's coastal villages drunk with the mollah to be made from the tourism trade. Photo courtesy: William Rodrigues
Northern ‘Paradise’
Perhaps for the first time since it took shape in the early part of the current decade, this 'paradise' in the north from where a top industrial scion was hounded out in the run-up to the Millenium New Year eve extravaganza, ceased to be a paradise. Alas only for a day though.
Director General of Police, Bhim Sain Bassi, apparently heaped with complaints, decided to see for himself. He along with Superintendent of Police (North) Bosco George, took a night tour of the northern coastal belt. And lo! Bassi heard for himself the blast.
Enraged, the top cop blew his top sending his subordinates reeling for cover. Left with no option, the SP ordered the Anjuna Police Station in-charge to rush and shut down the 'Paradise'. He was also asked to book a case against the night spot.
Bassi meanwhile happens to be the first IPS officer to crack the whip on this 'Paradise' in the north, where the son of a former Union Minister regularly rubbed shoulders with the ravers. Incidentally the 'Paradise' operates on government property owned by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) for free!
Apparently, the owner, began operating the place using his proximity to the then CM after the Bombay Dyeing Scion was hounded out for proposing 24-hour raves, seven days a week. The raves have been continuing at the 'Paradise' since then, and the GTDC has got nothing, absolutely nothing!
And all that the GTDC has done is merely issue notices a couple of times, once as recently as two weeks ago.
Jairam!
Another reason to hail the Environment Minister of our country. Jairam Ramesh has delivered on his promise and somewhat silenced my friend and teacher Matanhy Saldanha from continuing to 'champion' the cause of Goa's 'poor' fishermen.
Ramesh has written a lengthy letter to Goa CM, and in it, has opened a huge window of hope to save the 'dwellings' of coastal residents from the demolitions threatening them.
But alas, it's uncertain whether Ramesh's stance will satisfy Goa's politicos because it seemingly gives protection only to the 'aam admi' and not the 'khas aadmi' who run the thousands of commercial establishments in the CRZ's 'no development zones'.
Jai-Ramesh!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Of mosquitoes, musketeers and repellants
Ever since he burst into mainstream politics in the 1980s, Churchill-bab's gaffes have attained the status of folklore -- his 'On Fatorda Ground' retort to Anupam Ghulati live on National TV is unforgettable. But now, that one will just fade away from memory with the Varca strongman's 'who are these three mosquitoes' classic of last week.
What did he exactly say?
Did he say who are these "three mosquitoes" or did he say who are these "three musketeers", drawing inspiration from the famous novel of Alexandre Dumas?
Several peers who attended that press conference in Margao swear that Churchill said the former. But there are a few who say he said "musketeers" and one English daily that shares a stronghold with Churchill, reported thus.
But whatever he said, either way, it suited his cause. And, the damage he wanted to do, was done.
The remark sent the musketeers/mosquitoes and their four companions in the 'Group of Seven' musketeers/mosquitoes in a tizzy, five of who are ministers. They boycotted the cabinet and let out an even shriller tantrum -- threatening to defeat the government in the House if Churchill-bab does not tender the 'celebrated apology'.
But the weekend saw another winged specie -- the Aviator Praful Patel -- pour cold water on all the musketeers/mosquitoes plans for vengeance, at a Sunday night dinner meeting in Mumbai. And now, all the issues, deals and wheels are to be sorted out on the eve of 'All Fools Day'.
The repellant effect
The debate on whether Churchill said 'mosquitoes' or 'musketeers' may go on for some more time but there's another indicator (apart from what a majority of journos heard and reported on ground zero) that makes me believe it was indeed 'mosquitoes'. Because, Churchill's comment worked like an instant repellant on one of the most wiliest of the G7.
Many of his predecessors may have been stung by the female version of a particular mosquito that stung mayhem in Goa's health sector for decades, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane scooted off to the land of Ayurveda no sooner Churchill's mosquitoes swarmed all over the papers the next morning.
The dimunitive scion of Sattari was conspicuous by his absence and his conversation in spurts on the speaker-phone at Transport Minister Sudin Dhavlikar's official residence, didn't sound very convincing to many a journo present there.
Jai Ramesh!
He may not be a darling of the media. In fact, he's been the butt of their criticism as hard stands he's taken on some macro-policy issues have triggered immense debate and negative publicity. But be it BT Brinjal, India's position at the Global Climate Talks or his hard stance on mining, Jairam Ramesh, has indeed acted firm and as the country's Environment Minister should.
Obviously, his two year ban on BT Brinjal must've hit the BT lobby, which is rumoured to have its tentacles spread high up there in Delhi's highest corridors, where it hurts most -- their coffers. So, the bad press isn't too intriguing. But for us here in Goa, his hard stand on mining is what matters and is rumoured to be one of the reasons for the mayhem in the political arena.
Apparently somebody very powerful recently bought an old, unoperated mine from a mining family and forwarded to the government the file to start mining there. It reached the desk of a top-gun in the government who sat on it far too long for the 'powerful' somebody's liking. The file finally got sent to Delhi for the statutory clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, where unfortunately for the 'powerful somebody', it got vetoed by Jairam Ramesh, who instead shot off a letter to the State imposing a moratorium on all new mines till such time as the state formally adopts a 'Mining Policy'. Upset with these turn of events, the 'powerful somebody' is said to have ignited the political fire.
Will it work? Unlikely, with Ramesh around.
What did he exactly say?
Did he say who are these "three mosquitoes" or did he say who are these "three musketeers", drawing inspiration from the famous novel of Alexandre Dumas?
Several peers who attended that press conference in Margao swear that Churchill said the former. But there are a few who say he said "musketeers" and one English daily that shares a stronghold with Churchill, reported thus.
But whatever he said, either way, it suited his cause. And, the damage he wanted to do, was done.
The remark sent the musketeers/mosquitoes and their four companions in the 'Group of Seven' musketeers/mosquitoes in a tizzy, five of who are ministers. They boycotted the cabinet and let out an even shriller tantrum -- threatening to defeat the government in the House if Churchill-bab does not tender the 'celebrated apology'.
But the weekend saw another winged specie -- the Aviator Praful Patel -- pour cold water on all the musketeers/mosquitoes plans for vengeance, at a Sunday night dinner meeting in Mumbai. And now, all the issues, deals and wheels are to be sorted out on the eve of 'All Fools Day'.
The repellant effect
The debate on whether Churchill said 'mosquitoes' or 'musketeers' may go on for some more time but there's another indicator (apart from what a majority of journos heard and reported on ground zero) that makes me believe it was indeed 'mosquitoes'. Because, Churchill's comment worked like an instant repellant on one of the most wiliest of the G7.
Many of his predecessors may have been stung by the female version of a particular mosquito that stung mayhem in Goa's health sector for decades, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane scooted off to the land of Ayurveda no sooner Churchill's mosquitoes swarmed all over the papers the next morning.
The dimunitive scion of Sattari was conspicuous by his absence and his conversation in spurts on the speaker-phone at Transport Minister Sudin Dhavlikar's official residence, didn't sound very convincing to many a journo present there.
Jai Ramesh!
He may not be a darling of the media. In fact, he's been the butt of their criticism as hard stands he's taken on some macro-policy issues have triggered immense debate and negative publicity. But be it BT Brinjal, India's position at the Global Climate Talks or his hard stance on mining, Jairam Ramesh, has indeed acted firm and as the country's Environment Minister should.
Obviously, his two year ban on BT Brinjal must've hit the BT lobby, which is rumoured to have its tentacles spread high up there in Delhi's highest corridors, where it hurts most -- their coffers. So, the bad press isn't too intriguing. But for us here in Goa, his hard stand on mining is what matters and is rumoured to be one of the reasons for the mayhem in the political arena.
Apparently somebody very powerful recently bought an old, unoperated mine from a mining family and forwarded to the government the file to start mining there. It reached the desk of a top-gun in the government who sat on it far too long for the 'powerful' somebody's liking. The file finally got sent to Delhi for the statutory clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, where unfortunately for the 'powerful somebody', it got vetoed by Jairam Ramesh, who instead shot off a letter to the State imposing a moratorium on all new mines till such time as the state formally adopts a 'Mining Policy'. Upset with these turn of events, the 'powerful somebody' is said to have ignited the political fire.
Will it work? Unlikely, with Ramesh around.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
At war again!
All the pretence has now been exposed. It's finally out there in the open that there is no lasting understanding, deal, or whatever you call it, between the Alemaos and Mickky. The war of words at the fag-end of last week's cabinet meeting clearly said so. In fact if tongues were fists, quite a few ministers would have been black-eyed today.
Unfortunately, there's a woman (and it can't be a minister because Diggu's team does not have any), in south Goa who's ended up with not just a black eye, but a whole black face.
Mickky's out-of-the-box advances on Salcete's political turf through the Zilla Parishad elections provoked the initially-caught-napping Congress Salcetians, including Churchill, Joaquim, Aleixo Sequeira and Felipe Neri Rodrigues into a real big fight and the victim in the bargain happened to be Nelly Rodrigues.
The former South Goa ZP chairperson, though elected unopposed has completely lost out in the end game and is left with only Mickky for mercy. Not a very enticing situation for the Jr College lecturer, especially with Sister Farrel firmly entrenched in the decision-making mechanism of Churchill-led ministries!
This latest bout has also left the Group of Seven (G-7) open to retaliatory fire from the Congressmen. As they say, politics in Goa can never get dull. And, trust the politicos that come from Salcete to give it the muscle and colour, it so often wears!
Women’s reservation v/s Mandalisation?
Last week the world celebrated the Centenary of World Women's Day and India's Upper House scripted the first stanza of a chapter in its history book with the passage of the Women's Bill in the Rajya Sabha, despite the Yadav hiccup on Women's day itself. But there still is a long way to go before reservation for women in the country's highest decision-making corridors -- Parliament and State legislatures -- becomes a constitutional reality.
The Yadavs, who came to attain goliathian stature on the national political canvass post-Mandalisation -- Lalu, Mulayam and Sharad -- will do everything in their might to raise hurdles in the House of People.
Obviously, they (the Yadavs) sense that the quota for women will dent the advantage that VP Singh's mandalisation gave them, and therefore, their demand for quota within the women's quota for dalits, OBCs and Muslims. They will not buy the argument that they should let the Women's Bill pass for now and get their concerns for backwards and the 'quota within quota' tackled later. Because, the veterans that they are, the Yadav trio knows only too well that if it (quota within quota) doesn't happen now, it will never happen.
Take Goa's case for instance. About the time when Justice Kuldip Singh Gill and his team at the Delimitation Commission was holding public hearings on the exercise here in Goa, the Government of India issued the notification including the Gawdas, Khunbis and Velips in the Central List of Scheduled Tribes. So, if the reservation law was to be followed in letter and spirit, then like Dhargalim (now 'Pernem' in the post-delimitation era) at least another four to five seats should have gone reserved. A plea was made but it fell on deaf ears at the Delimitation Commission's hearings. Now, it's unlikely to happen in any hurry.
It isn't therefore surprising that Prakash Velip of the BJP has raised the 'quota within quota' banner here in Goa. For, without a quota, they stand no chance of being nominated to any seat even if numbers favour them. Take the last elections for instance. Cortalim, Loutolim, Curtorim and Fatorda, the four seats that have huge ST populations saw all the major contending political parties -- Congress, BJP and Save Goa Front/ UGDP -- nominate upper-caste candidates.
For the women here in Goa, (I mean the political women ie A's wife, B's sister, C's daughter and D's daughter-in-law) meanwhile it will be a bonanza! Donno if it'll help the Norma Alvareses, the Sabina Martins, the Albertina Almeidas, the Shanti Maria Fonsecas and the others of their ilk though.
CCP self-goal?
On Sunday, Leader of Opposition, Manohar Parrikar, tried his hand at dinner diplomacy with journos. He, along with the half-a-dozen Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) corporators owing allegiance to him and the BJP hosted a press conference followed by dinner at the Mandovi.
The theme?: Obviously Elections 2011.
Led by Portais's Menino D'Cruz, the corporators ranted and raved in the presence of their mentor, about the scams and mess in the CCP over the last four years of their tenure. Market scam, parking scam, 'ghost workers' scam, etc., etc. In the next one year, they said they will launch a public awareness campaign to sensitise the Capital's citizenry about the goings-on in the CCP, as if the poor aam admi doesn't already know.
Clearly, Parrikar knows he's band of men and women in the CCP have fared miserably in making a mark. Much of the credit for exposing most of the scams his corporators are now raving about, lies in the pocket of his long time rival Surendra Furtado and the 'Chanakya' of Goan politics it seems is hoping to neutralise this with the year long mass contact campaign he and his corporators unveiled on Sunday. Too little too late?
Tailpiece
The ghost has indeed disappeared. Six months after Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao promised of action on the floor of the House in the 'ghost workers' scam at the CCP, there's none of it.
Unfortunately, there's a woman (and it can't be a minister because Diggu's team does not have any), in south Goa who's ended up with not just a black eye, but a whole black face.
Mickky's out-of-the-box advances on Salcete's political turf through the Zilla Parishad elections provoked the initially-caught-napping Congress Salcetians, including Churchill, Joaquim, Aleixo Sequeira and Felipe Neri Rodrigues into a real big fight and the victim in the bargain happened to be Nelly Rodrigues.
The former South Goa ZP chairperson, though elected unopposed has completely lost out in the end game and is left with only Mickky for mercy. Not a very enticing situation for the Jr College lecturer, especially with Sister Farrel firmly entrenched in the decision-making mechanism of Churchill-led ministries!
This latest bout has also left the Group of Seven (G-7) open to retaliatory fire from the Congressmen. As they say, politics in Goa can never get dull. And, trust the politicos that come from Salcete to give it the muscle and colour, it so often wears!
Women’s reservation v/s Mandalisation?
Last week the world celebrated the Centenary of World Women's Day and India's Upper House scripted the first stanza of a chapter in its history book with the passage of the Women's Bill in the Rajya Sabha, despite the Yadav hiccup on Women's day itself. But there still is a long way to go before reservation for women in the country's highest decision-making corridors -- Parliament and State legislatures -- becomes a constitutional reality.
The Yadavs, who came to attain goliathian stature on the national political canvass post-Mandalisation -- Lalu, Mulayam and Sharad -- will do everything in their might to raise hurdles in the House of People.
Obviously, they (the Yadavs) sense that the quota for women will dent the advantage that VP Singh's mandalisation gave them, and therefore, their demand for quota within the women's quota for dalits, OBCs and Muslims. They will not buy the argument that they should let the Women's Bill pass for now and get their concerns for backwards and the 'quota within quota' tackled later. Because, the veterans that they are, the Yadav trio knows only too well that if it (quota within quota) doesn't happen now, it will never happen.
Take Goa's case for instance. About the time when Justice Kuldip Singh Gill and his team at the Delimitation Commission was holding public hearings on the exercise here in Goa, the Government of India issued the notification including the Gawdas, Khunbis and Velips in the Central List of Scheduled Tribes. So, if the reservation law was to be followed in letter and spirit, then like Dhargalim (now 'Pernem' in the post-delimitation era) at least another four to five seats should have gone reserved. A plea was made but it fell on deaf ears at the Delimitation Commission's hearings. Now, it's unlikely to happen in any hurry.
It isn't therefore surprising that Prakash Velip of the BJP has raised the 'quota within quota' banner here in Goa. For, without a quota, they stand no chance of being nominated to any seat even if numbers favour them. Take the last elections for instance. Cortalim, Loutolim, Curtorim and Fatorda, the four seats that have huge ST populations saw all the major contending political parties -- Congress, BJP and Save Goa Front/ UGDP -- nominate upper-caste candidates.
For the women here in Goa, (I mean the political women ie A's wife, B's sister, C's daughter and D's daughter-in-law) meanwhile it will be a bonanza! Donno if it'll help the Norma Alvareses, the Sabina Martins, the Albertina Almeidas, the Shanti Maria Fonsecas and the others of their ilk though.
CCP self-goal?
On Sunday, Leader of Opposition, Manohar Parrikar, tried his hand at dinner diplomacy with journos. He, along with the half-a-dozen Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) corporators owing allegiance to him and the BJP hosted a press conference followed by dinner at the Mandovi.
The theme?: Obviously Elections 2011.
Led by Portais's Menino D'Cruz, the corporators ranted and raved in the presence of their mentor, about the scams and mess in the CCP over the last four years of their tenure. Market scam, parking scam, 'ghost workers' scam, etc., etc. In the next one year, they said they will launch a public awareness campaign to sensitise the Capital's citizenry about the goings-on in the CCP, as if the poor aam admi doesn't already know.
Clearly, Parrikar knows he's band of men and women in the CCP have fared miserably in making a mark. Much of the credit for exposing most of the scams his corporators are now raving about, lies in the pocket of his long time rival Surendra Furtado and the 'Chanakya' of Goan politics it seems is hoping to neutralise this with the year long mass contact campaign he and his corporators unveiled on Sunday. Too little too late?
Tailpiece
The ghost has indeed disappeared. Six months after Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao promised of action on the floor of the House in the 'ghost workers' scam at the CCP, there's none of it.
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